In this edition of my ELA & reading test prep series, we are focusing on making inferences and citing evidence. I’ve said before that there aren’t a lot of new skills that our students are being exposed to at the middle school level. Our students have been making inferences since elementary school; they just aren’t making the same inferences from the same texts. They are being asked more difficult questions that correspond with more complex texts. As middle school ELA & reading teachers, we must ensure they’ve been adequately exposed to appropriately challenging text and questions.
It’s time to get in the habit of citing evidence for all questions.
Although citing evidence is coupled with making inferences in many state standards, citing textual evidence for any type of question is very important. Most teachers reading this probably already require their students to at least underline text that supports their answers to questions, but if not, it is a great idea to start. This practice also requires our students to slow down and really think about what the question is asking and what the text says. This is a beneficial practice for any lesson, but this is especially important in preparing our students for questions that ask students to find evidence to support given statements.
Make sure students understand what the questions are asking.
End-of-grade testing is never easy, but the tests become increasingly complex as students progress through school. In some states, there are at least a few basic recall questions in the earlier grades, but by the time students are in middle school, those types of questions are a memory. Students will be asked to make inferences, but the questions won’t necessarily even come right out and say that. The following are some question stems that are based on inference and citing evidence:
Which quote supports the inference that…
What can be inferred from…
What is one way to identify…
What statement is supported by evidence from the text…
What do the people mentioned in the text have in common?
If your students can break down the question and really understand what is being asked, they will have a far better chance of answering it correctly.
Provide your students with plenty of appropriate practice.
The best thing you can do for your students is to provide them with plenty of opportunities to engage with appropriately challenging text. This is actually how I became a TPT seller to begin with. I started teaching before Teachers Pay Teachers was popular, and it was SO hard to find reading comprehension passages and questions that were just right for my middle school students. I bought so many printed workbooks that were advertised for grades 3-7, and they obviously ended up being way too easy. I decided to write my own passages, and then later, I realized that I could save other teachers time by offering my passages on Teachers Pay Teachers. That’s enough of my origin story, though. I’ve created reading passages that specifically focus on making inferences and citing evidence. These passages are written for middle school students and make great test prep! They are even part of a larger test prep bundle!
ELA & reading test prep can feel overwhelming for middle school teachers. I hope these tips help! Like what you see here? Join my mailing list for tips, tricks, new products, and more!
