About this book
Give your third grader the confidence to succeed on both Michigan M-STEP tests — Mathematics and English Language Arts — in one book.
This Smart Stars combined edition brings together ten full-length, standards-aligned practice tests — five in Mathematics and five in English Language Arts — that mirror the length, item mix, and question types of the real M-STEP assessments. Every question and passage was written by experienced educators, reviewed for accuracy, and built around Michigan’s K–12 standards at Grade 3.
Take a look inside
M-STEP — the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress — is the state assessment the Michigan Department of Education gives students each spring, delivered online through DRC INSIGHT.
- On paper instead of a screen: this book renders the same skills as clear, print-friendly items — the same figures, clocks, graphs, fraction models, and reading-passage sets — so the thinking is identical even on paper.
- On the real test: Grade 3 listening is delivered through headphones, so each ELA listening talk is printed here as a short read-aloud script for a parent or teacher.
What’s inside
- Ten full-length practice tests — five Mathematics (40 questions each) and five English Language Arts (45 questions each, including one passage-based writing prompt), 425 questions in all — with detailed Answers and Explanations after every test
- Every M-STEP item format, rendered for paper: single-answer multiple choice, multiple select (“select two”), type-in answers, and two-part evidence-based items — across both subjects
- Reading, Writing, Listening, and Research ELA claims covered, with each listening talk delivered as an adult read-aloud script so no answer is ever visible to the child
- A Grade 3 ELA Study Reference — question-type guide, reading moves, the written-response rubric, and a glossary — for review between sessions
- Family-friendly extras: a parent letter with test-taking tips for both subjects, and a separate Quick Answer Key for each subject
Topics covered
- Place value, rounding, and comparing numbers within 1,000
- Addition and subtraction within 1,000 with regrouping
- Multiplication and division within 100 — equal groups, arrays, and word problems
- Fractions on a number line, equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions
- Telling time to the minute and solving elapsed-time problems
- Area and perimeter of rectangles and composite figures
- Interpreting picture graphs, bar graphs, and line plots
- Two-step word problems and reasoning about equations
Topics covered — English Language Arts
- Main idea, central message and theme, and the key details that support them
- Character, setting, and plot in literary stories, and how characters change
- Author’s purpose and point of view, plus text features such as headings and captions
- Text structure — sequence, cause and effect, compare and contrast
- Vocabulary in context, plus prefixes, suffixes, and root words
- Making inferences and citing text evidence
- Listening comprehension — following a short spoken talk and answering about it
- Grammar and conventions: verb tense, subject-verb agreement, capitalization, commas, and apostrophes
- Passage-based writing: stating an opinion or main idea and supporting it with reasons and text evidence
Why parents and teachers choose Smart Stars
- Educator-authored: Every question and passage is written and reviewed by classroom-experienced educators, and no passage is reproduced from copyrighted work.
- Mirrors test day: Each practice test matches the official M-STEP item mix, question formats, and on-screen skills for its subject, rendered clearly for paper practice.
- Explanations teach the why: Math entries show the full worked solution; reading entries point to the exact evidence in the passage.
- Both subjects in one book: The same tests as the single-subject editions, combined so your child can build math fluency and reading stamina side by side.
