
Introduction
During my first few years of teaching, one thing I struggled with was how to teach short answer responses to my students. Even getting them to write was a challenge.
Because it was (and still is) assessed on their STAAR English I or English II End of Course Assessment, it was important for them to write a quality response. Over time, I got better at teaching my students to not only write a good response but also how to teach short answer responses for future classes.
What follows are strategies I’ve implemented in my instruction that have yielded significant results for my students.
Model The Method
Modeling how to answer short answer questions is probably the most beneficial practice for your students. As they’re observing how you approach the question, they’re also building mental strategies they can use.
One method of modeling how to teach short answer responses is by using a paragraph-development strategy.
Many of your high school students will probably be familiar with the various mnemonics that their previous teachers may have use. These mnemonics include but aren’t limited to:
- ACES (Answer, Cite, Explain, Summary)
- APES (Answer, Proof, Evidence, Summary)
- PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link)
- OREO (Opinion, Reason, Explanation, Opinion)
- RACES (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain, Sum)
Regardless of which one you use or your students are familiar with, it’s important that the mnemonic chosen is one that your department uses. If, however, each teacher in your department uses whatever, you should use one that you feel is easiest for your students to understand.
Break The Process Into Chunks
After modeling for students how to write short answer responses, the next best thing is to actually break the process of writing short answer questions into chunks. One way to chunk the process is to create a quick PPT that has five slides.
For example, I use PEEL with my high school students; when having them practice writing short answer responses, I create a PowerPoint and organize the slides in the following manner:
- Short Answer Question
- Point (Write your answer to the question)
- Evidence (Cite textual evidence that supports your point)
- Explanation (Explain how or why your evidence supports your point)
- Link (Summarize and link your point to the question)
In Slide 1, I break down the question so that students understand what they’re being asked. This might include defining unfamiliar terms, reminding them what part of the text to refer to, or rephrasing the question.
Slides 2-5 have sentence stems written in them. In providing students with these stems, they’re able to build a foundation on how to organize their thoughts clearly and coherently. Though this does create the risk of their writing sounding formulaic, the idea is to have them practice by giving them the tools they need to be successful.
Furthermore, because the practice session is chunked in a reasonable manner, it reduces the likelihood of students becoming overwhelmed by the process, especially students who struggle to write.
Use Graphic Organizers
Whether it’s a fancy graphic organizer you found online or a simple, basic one you created in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, giving them to your students also helps facilitate writing short answer responses.
The graphic organizer should be simple for students to understand with each part labeled based on the paragraph-development mnemonic you chose. Also, it helps to include useful transition words or phrases within each section, minimizing the likelihood of students getting confused or wondering what should go there.
Allowing students to visualize how their response should be structured provides them with a mental model of their own; that way, when they come across a short answer question on an exam or state assessment, they know how to approach answering it.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to teach short answer responses can be challenging at first; however, by modeling the process, breaking down the process in chunks, and using graphic organizers, your students will have a solid understanding and foundation of how to approach them.
When it comes to teaching short answer responses, what instructional methods have worked for you and your students? Let me know in the comments!
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