First Day to Test Day

Part 1 Secret Site

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THINK BEYOND THE TEXT

Links to Assignments in Writable
Elementary Course Assignments
Middle Course Assignments
High School Course Assignments

Juggle reader voices

Apply reader voices to all text types.

Introduce the Reading Voice & Thinking Voice.

Comprehension Voice Signs
Available in English & Spanish

Provide students mini-signs
Color | Black & White
Spanish

Demonstrate the concept of eyes on the text using peepers.

Record the Thinking Voice.

Simplify annotation with marks, codes, & abbreviations.

Introduce the purpose of annotation.

Annotate based on
the reading purpose.

Go beyond Highlighting—
expect Why-lighting.

Return to annotations
after reading.

Make inferences about implied ideas

Model how to make inferences about text.

Follow 5 steps to make an inference.

8½x11 Silhouette | Color | Black & White
Chart Sense | Grades K-2 | Grades 3-8

Tie every comprehension lesson to the Inference Silhouette.

Use the XL Silhouette poster to capture thinking.

Print, laminate, and add magnets to use on whiteboard.

Google Slide
with text boxes | with colored boxes

Google Jamboard
with sticky notes

Identify relevant text details

Support students as they learn to make inferences.

Identify “relevant” textual details per reading standard.

Activate background knowledge when inferring.

Prompt readers when their inferences are off track.

Root inferences in evidence

Prepare students to provide 2-part answers.

Troubleshoot evidence errors in reading responses.

Remain neutral when asking How do you know? Have questions ready to encourage students to refer back to the text.

Explain that all details are not evidence.

Define evidence versus details.

Conduct evidence sorts with Evidence Bags.

Jamboard Evidence Bags

Google Jamboard Example

Goldilocks Evidence Sort

Target “best” and “most likely” answers.

Smoky Row Elementary teacher Barb Mahnesmith guides her fifth graders to analyze multiple-choice questions and answers.

Note the important or key words that would alter the meaning of each statement.

Guide students to eliminate wrong answers in multiple-choice questions.

Identify the best answers.

PDF | Smartboard | Promethean
Resources for additional practice | Google Doc | PowerPoint

Teacher Katie Powell at Southmont Jr. HS (Crawfordsville, IN,) created the bullseye with floor tape. She gave groups “answer” index cards to place face down within the target. Then, they had a “big reveal.”