12 Powerful Words Increase Test Scores and Help Close

the Achievement Gap

Objectives

Teachers will familiarize themselves with

the 12 Powerful words.

Teachers will create assessment questions

using the 12 powerful words.

12 Powerful Words Rap

http://www.schooltube.com/video/7b917d

095d843e7c9224/

What do we mean by powerful words?

These are the words that stump students

when they take standardized tests.

Students may feel intimidated or confused

by these words causing them to answer a

question incorrectly when they know the

answer.

12 Powerful Words Help all students:

To better understand what each

question means

To become familiar with words that

require higher order thinking skills

To relieve test anxiety

To achieve better on tests

What can you do as a teacher?

Model these words in the classroom through

questioning techniques.

Ask students to use the words in their written

responses.

Include these words in classroom assignments

to make students more familiar with them.

Have students make up their own questions

utilizing these words.

Imbed direct instruction of these words on a

regular basis.

Trace

List in 1, 2, 3 order

List in steps

Sequence

Example: Using the paragraph, trace the

steps of cell mitosis.

Analyze

Break apart

Think through

Break into pieces

Look deep into it

Example: Which of the following analyzes

how the author used personification?

Infer

Read between the lines

Take what you know plus context clues

What do you think?

Example: After reading the speech, make

an inference about why it was titled “Ain’t

I A Woman”?

Evaluate

Judge its worth

What’s good what’s bad

Example: Evaluate the value of x in this

equation.

Formulate

Come up with

Plan

Create

Construct

Example: Formulate an opinion about this

issue and express it in a short paragraph.

Describe

Tell in your own words

Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

Example: Which of the following best

describes the author’s mood?

Support

Back up with details

Tell why

How do you know?

Give evidence

Example: Which of the following

sentences best supports the main

idea.

Explain

Tell how

Who, What, When, Where, Why, How

Example: Based on this paragraph,

explain how viruses spread from one

person to another.

Summarize

Give me the short version

Retell the key points

Example: Which of the following best

summarizes the story?

Compare

How are they the same

Alike

Example: Compare the government of

Great Britain to the government of the

United States.

Contrast

How are they different?

Example: Contrast the government of the

United States and Cuba.

Predict

What will happen next

What will happen in the

future?

Conclude

Example: In a short paragraph,

predict how the story will end.

Resources 12 Powerful Words (and quiz)

12 Powerful Words Flashcards

12 Powerful Words Flashcards

12 Powerful Words Printable Flashcards

Larry Bell Presentation

12 Powerful Words Posters

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