Closing the Achievement Gap
 Twelve
Powerful Words
 Reading Mnemonic
 Math Mnemonic
Twelve Powerful Words
By knowing these words students are able
to think at the highest possible level.
These words often trip up students on
standardized tests who know the correct
answer.
Knowing these words can help relieve test
anxiety
Exposure to these words can be extremely
beneficial.
Trace
Analyze
Infer
Evaluate
Formulate
Describe
Support
Explain
Summarize
Compare
Contrast
Predict
List in steps
Break Apart
Read between the lines
Judge
Create
Tell All About
Back Up with Details
Tell How
Give me the short version
All the ways they are alike
All the ways they are different
What will happen next
Total immersion into the 12 Powerful words works best. Make these
words a part of everyday vocabulary. The more teachers use them
the greater the results. Some suggestions are:
Have a word of the day or word of the week.
Display a poster of the words so the students will see them daily.
Put these on your classroom tests and quizzes.
Students create their own test questions using these words.
Students make classroom posters using their own synonyms.
Students create their own song using the words.
Use them on a spelling test.
Students write a story using the 12 powerful words.
Design artwork using the words.
(To the tune of Oscar Mayer Weiner)
My vocabulary has 12 words
that help me do my best
Infer, Analyze, Evaluate, and
Formulate comes next
Oh, I love to Describe
them everyday
They Support me while
I Explain and say
Summarize, Compare, Contrast,
Predict, and Trace
with skills that last!
Tune - Calendar Girl
Trace – outline and list the steps
Analyze – break it down, we’re not done yet
Infer – means you gotta read between the lines
Evaluate – judge and look at both the sides
(Chorus)
Yeah, yeah, my brain’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love, those 12 little words
They’ll help me, they’ll help me
pass the test
Formulate – create and come up with a plan
Describe – paint a picture, show you understand
Support – give examples, prove it, back it up
Explain – tell about it, who, when, why and what
(Chorus)
Yeah, yeah, my brain’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love, those 12 little words
They’ll help me, they’ll help me
pass the test
Summarize – the bottom line, in a nutshell
Compare – how things are the same, oh please do tell
Contrast – things are different, you can tell us how
Predict – what do you think will happen now
(Chorus)
Yeah, yeah, my brain’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love, those 12 little words
They’ll help me, they’ll help me
pass the test
12 Words Song – tune Are You
Sleeping?
(Introduce 1 word at a time; then
build to it)
Can you __________? (word)
Can you __________? (word)
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
Synonym
Synonym
We can __________. (word)
We can __________. (word)
Example: Can you trace?
Can you trace?
Yes we can.
Yes we can.
Follow the steps.
Follow the steps.
We can trace.
We can trace.
To the tune of “The
Adams Family”
We trace and analyze
Infer and evaluate,
We formulate, describe
We use the Twelve Words
Chorus
Twelve Words (snap, snap)
Twelve Words (snap, snap)
Twelve Words, Twelve Words
Twelve Words (snap, snap)
Support it and explain it
Compare it and contrast it
Summarize and predict it
We use the Twelve Words
THE POWER (WORD) POKEY
‘Ya trace and descri-ibe
Explain and infer-er
(pause) Share your thoughts (clap)
And then move on
‘Ya do the power (word) pokey
Trust me, it ain’t hokey
That’s how ‘ya build your skills
‘Ya evaluate (pause) and formulate
(pause) (pause) Ana ly y y yze and support
‘Ya do the power (word) pokey
Trust me, it ain’t hokey
That’s how ya build the skills
‘Ya summarize (pause) and compare
(pause) (pause) co o o o o ontrast and predict
‘Ya do the power (word) pokey
Trust me it ain’t hokey
That’s how ya build the skills!
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12 Power Words Hand Motions
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Trace – Outline
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Make box w/finger
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Formulate – Build and create
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Hand on top of hand
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Analyze – Tear down/take apart
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Undo hands from top to bottom
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Infer – Read between the lines and make a guess
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Draw lines on hand
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Evaluate – Judge/check
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Hit hand w/fist and then make a check mark w/finger
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Describe – tell about it
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Make talking motion w/hand
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Support – Back up w/details
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Place hands on shoulders and take several steps backwards
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Explain – List in steps
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Make list w/fingers 1-3
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Summarize – Short version
Left hand is flat and right hand makes a small book with thumb on bottom and pointer and middle finger are together
on top
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Compare – Alike
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Two hands side by side
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Contrast – Different
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Hands are one in front of the other
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Predict – Think about the future
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And make a guess and point forward
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Put pointer finger on side of head (think about the future)
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then point finger straight ahead (make a guess)
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For each one, say word and then do hand motion as you speak
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12 Word Cheer
When I say: Trace
You say: Outline
Trace
Outline
Trace
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Outline
When I say: Analyze
You say: Breakdown
Analyze
Breakdown
• Analyze
• Breakdown…
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The 12 Wonderful Words
I can trace, infer, and
summarize
Support ideas and analyze
And I think to myself
What 12 wonderful words.
I compare, contrast and formulate
Predict, explain…evaluate
As I describe to myself
The 12 wonderful words.
The words that I describe and contrast
in my mind
Will help me to explain, infer and
analyze
I can trace, summarize, predict and
formulate
Support, compare…evaluate.
We will reach for the stars
Our scores will grow
We’ll learn so much more
Than you’ll ever know.
They will help us achieve
The 12 wonderful words
They will help us achieve
The 12 wonderful words
Oh..yeah
Martin Luther King Jr.
Comprehension Quiz, Tic-Tac-Toe
Directions: Select three questions to make a tic-tac-toe for the quiz (vertical,
horizontal or diagonal). On a separate sheet of paper, answer those questions
using details and examples from your nonfiction essay about Martin Luther King
Jr. Each answer should be at least one complete paragraph with a main idea and
supporting details.
Compare…
Compare life for
northern blacks to life
for southern blacks in
Compose…
Compose a letter Dr. King
might have written to the
president about the U.S.
involvement in Vietnam.
Trace…
Trace the events you read
Predict…
Predict what life would
be like for all people
today if Dr. King had
Decide…
Decide if you could have
done the same thing as Dr.
King. Support your answer
not made a stand.
with examples.
Evaluate…
Evaluate Dr. King’s support
of nonviolent protest. Tell
why you do or do not
support his nonviolent
stand.
Explain…
Explain why Dr. King
kept giving speeches.
Support…
Support the notion of our
federal holiday for Dr.
List his most famous
Martin Luther King Jr.
1965/66.
!
about in a Timeline.
Summarize…
Summarize the most
important contribution that
you think Dr. King made to
our country.
Reading Strategy Mnemonic
► Underline title
► Now predict passage
► Run through and number the paragraphs
► Are you reading the questions
► Are the important words circled
► Venture through the passage
► Eliminate
►Let the questions be answered, and write the paragraph # where
you found the answers
U- Underline the Title
► Read the title as you underline it.
► It will help you know what the selection is about.
N- Now Predict the Passage
► Use Prior Knowledge from similar passages.
► Use the pictures, graphs, etc.
R-Run Through and Number the Paragraphs
► This will help you locate the answers later.
► It makes it easier to organize your thoughts.
A- Are you Reading the Questions?
► So you know what to look for.
► The questions usually explain the whole passage.
► Do NOT answer anything yet.
A- Are the Important Words Circled?
► These are usually “answers”.
► Write one or two words that tell what they mean.
V – Venture (Read) Through the Passage
► Read Carefully through the passage.
► If you don’t understand something, reread it.
E – Eliminate and Obviously Wrong Answerers.
► Cross out any silly answers.
► Do not try to find the exact answer yet.
L- Let the Questions be answered.
► Write the paragraph and line number where you found the answer(or inferred answer) next to the
question.
These Are Often Answers
The authors often give you the answers. Circle these words anywhere you see them!
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Bold
Dates
Places
Captions
Bulleted
Italicized
Underlined
Highlighted
Defined
Repeated
In parentheses
In brackets
Capitalized
Proper nouns
A big word
A “power verb”
A key word
A different color
A different size font
Part of the title part of question
In the margin
Has an asterisk
Has an illustration
You do not know the meaning
Broken down phonetically
Transitional words such as consequently, therefore, first, in other words, etc.
U
N
R
Title______________________
Prediction:
Paragraph #
First few words...
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
A
A
Question? ____________________________________
Important Word
Meaning
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Summarize the selection:
Who
What?
When?
Where?
Why?
How?
The “silly” answers I choose to eliminate are:
V
E
L
The correct answer is:___________________________
I know this because it can be found in paragraph ___line___.
Ideas That Work
All, 4, 3, 2, 1
First day conduct with entire group
Second day groups of 4
Third day groups of 3
Fourth day groups of 2
Fifth day individually
1½ X ¾
1)
2)
3)
4)
Same length of time as actual test with
same length of passage
Double length of passage with ¾ time
1 ½ length of passage with ¾ time
When test is here the passages will seem
easy
Write eight questions on board. Place
students in small groups . Students
write a story that goes with the
questions.
UNRAAVEL the Passage
To the tune of the “Lion Sleeps
Tonight”
U N R A A V E L (slow) the Reading
passage, the test cat’ll sing tonight…
Underline (fast) the title, predict the
passage, you’ll get it right,
So right Bah weem …….UNRAAVEL
it right away (repeat)
Run through the questions, number
them so well,
Circle those cool words…
Take the venture, right through the
passage,
And eliminate the bull(hey hey hey)
Bah weem ….. UNRAAVEL it right
away (repeat)
Chorus
Bah weem bow way Bah weem bow
way…
(DOUBLE CHECK your work)
Bah weem bow way Bah weem bow
way…
(DOUBLE CHECK your work)
Repeat all again
UNRAAVEL the “_________________”
(Sung to the tune of the “Brady Bunch”
tune)
Draw a line, under the title
Take your best guess what it’s all about
Put a number next to each paragraph
To help you find the answer
Take some time, and read the questions
Circle all, the very important words
Write down what each word means
And now its time to read
Chorus UNRAAVEL (ing)
UNRAAVEL (ing)
This is how we UNRAAVEL the
“__________”
Cross out all the wrong answers
Pick the best of all that remain
Paragraph numbers will prove
you know the answers
Now double check your work
(Chorus)
The wheels in my head go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels in my head go round and round
As I UNRAAVEL
I underline, predict, and number
Predict and number, predict and number
I underline, predict and number
As I UNRAAVEL
I read the questions and circle the words
Important words, important words
I read the questions and circle the words
As I UNRAAVEL
I venture through the passage
Venture through, venture through
I venture through the passage
As I UNRAAVEL
I eliminate by crossing out
The wrong answer, the wrong answer
I eliminate by crossing out
As I UNRAAVEL
I write the number where I found it
Found it, found it
I write the number where I found it
As I UNRAAVEL
I let the question be answered
Answered, answered
I let the question be answered
As I UNRAAVEL
The wheels in my head go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels in my head go round and round
As I UNRAAVEL
Math Strategy Mnemonic
Underline the question
 Now predict what you think you need to do to solve the problem
 Read the word problem
 Are the important words circled? (especially clue words)
 Apply the step(s) you chose to solve the problem
 Verify your answer (is it reasonable; does it make sense?)
 Eliminate wrong answers
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Let the answer stay or rework the problem
work
Double check your
WAYS TO MAINTAIN YOUR SANITY:
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If
They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."
5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions,
Switch to Espresso.
6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write " For Smuggling Diamonds"
7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation
9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.
11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."
12. Sing Along At The Opera.
13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?
14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.
15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.
16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.
17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"
18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're
Loose!!"
19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."