Short constructed response

Using the RACE strategy is an effective way to help students answer constructed response reading questions. Read tips for using this strategy in this post.

Boost upper elementary student confidence with scaffolded, no-prep short constructed response practice. Perfect for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders, build skills using paragraph frames, sentence starters, and independent responses. Differentiate with various scaffolds and help students practice restating questions and writing thoughtfully. Includes a handy sentence starter reference sheet!

Here's a challenge, how many times in a day can you write on students paper "RESTATE THE QUESTION?" I am joking.... But really, they should make a stamp of it so that grading takes less time.... hum.... In all seriousness students need to restate the question to get the full credit on quizzes and tests so here is what they need to do. 1. Restate the question 2. Provide an answer 3. Provide evidence. 4. Put it all together in 1-2 sentences. Use this formula over and over and over and…

Anchor chart for elementary, middle school, and high school Constructed Response / Short Answer Response using A.C.E. strategy

Do your students struggle with constructed response reading questions? This post shares strategies and resources to help!

In this post, teacher Cara Popecki gives tips to make writing effective, collaborative, and fun. It’s on every major college readiness and state exam, and it also elicits the most groans from students and teachers alike: the dreaded extended constructed response. Students are generally asked to read and answer questions about two passages that share a common theme, and then they must write an essay that incorporates evidence and analysis from both texts. On-demand writing, especially writing…

Last week we looked at the beautiful language and sentence fluency in All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan. I decided to do a small writing project with the kids to help them adopt a more fluent writing style and to write more like Patricia MacLachlan. We noticed that all the places the characters loved in her book had to do with nature. I modeled for students how I thought of a place in nature that I love (the Horicon Marsh), followed by nouns that I see, feel, smell, hear, and…

FREE printable to teach students to color code their constructed response reading answers.

Do your students need more constructed response practice? Use and adapt these example question prompts for any nonfiction text for your upper elementary students (3rd, 4th, and 5th grade). Whether you are doing a lesson on short constructed response or extended constructed response, one of these questions should fit with your reading passage!