Ughhhh! Okay, do I sound frustrated? Maybe. I think you would agree that when it comes to testing time, teachers revert to eye-rolling and grunting. Even more frustrating is that over the years, there has been a major shift in reading assessments. Students are no longer required to only choose between multiple choice questions, but are now expected to respond to a question with a written response....aka constructed response.
These tasks, open-ended questions (often described as performance assessments), require students to construct their own responses rather than select them from a set of given possibilities. And, if you are a typical student, this assessment may be the first time that you have been required to respond to a task by doing little more much more than filling in a bubble. Needless to say, if you are a typical student, responding successfully to such a task might prove daunting. Unfortunately, students are not experts in providing a thoughtful, well-designed constructed response.
Well, that is where the 
strategy can help! The RACE strategy is a great way to guide and encourage students to write thorough and meaningful reading responses.
strategy can help! The RACE strategy is a great way to guide and encourage students to write thorough and meaningful reading responses. stands for:
Although, the RACE strategy is a great way to break each component of a successful response into manageable chunks, students need scaffolded modeling of each component and meaningful practice to be successful. Below you will find the strategies I have used to be successful with my students.
First, share with students what the RACE strategy is and how each component can help them answer an open-ended question!
Next, help them to practice with each component.....
I use the PQA strategy, Put the Question in the Answer. I use task cards with opened ended questions to provide practice with the PQA strategy!
Answer the question thoroughly with details and examples by using the ANSWER strategy.
Cite evidence using details from the text and evidence based stems. Also, citing the author word-for-word using appropriate punctuations marks. I use short passages and open-ended question task cards to help students practice and apply citing evidence. You can download these task cards below for free.
Explain your thinking involves using background knowledge, experience, and connections to elaborate and deepen the response.
If you are looking for a fun and exciting way to teach your little monsters lovelies how to use the strategy, click on the Race Strategy: Weird but True Animal Edition. You'll find a great presentation, student companion sheets, posters, task cards, weird but true articles, and graphic organizers!!
strategy, click on the Race Strategy: Weird but True Animal Edition. You'll find a great presentation, student companion sheets, posters, task cards, weird but true articles, and graphic organizers!!
