Keys Advantage
The Test Success Pyramid
Know the
STRATEGIES
Know the TEST
Know the CONTENT
What’s in Kaplan Keys Advantage?




16-18 lessons
Kaplan’s test-taking strategies
test-like questions
content instruction and reading passages designed for the
common core
 scaffolded lessons (I do/we do/you do)
 What students need for confidence and success on test day!
Why do students perform poorly on
standardized tests?
They suffer from test anxiety.
They don’t understand what the question is asking.
They are unfamiliar with the test format.
They have learned tricks instead of strategies.
They guess because they feel they have no other option.
They get stuck on one question and it ruins their confidence for
the rest of the test.
They have learned content in one context, but can’t apply it to
another.
Questions are NOT Created Equally
In class:
•What is characterization?
On the test:
Read these sentences from the passage.
Ma is madder than a wet hen about this. She says they will have to
haul her out of her house.
These sentences suggest that Ma is very
A hardworking
B stubborn
C practical
D bewildered
Questions are NOT Created Equally
In class:
10  (5  3) = ____
On the test:
Guinevere went into Saul’s Bakery and spent five
dollars on 3 packages of rolls. Then she went next
door to the Super Shop and bought a container of
milk for three dollars. How much money will she
have left if she started with ten dollars? Write an
expression and then solve to find the amount she
will have left.
Agenda
I.
Program Structure
II.
Lesson Structure
III.
Strategies for Test Readiness
IV.
Implementation Models
V.
Teach Backs
ELA Program Structure
Unit
Strand
1
Strategies for Reading Literature
and Informational Text:
Before You Read
While You Read
After You Read
2
3
8
4
Strategies for Writing
5
Reading Literature and
Informational Text Practice
Math Program Structure
9
Unit
Strand
1
The 4-Step Method for Problem
Solving
2-5
Strategies for Content Strands
(e.g., Fractions, Expressions and
Equations, Geometry)
Applying the Common Core
Teacher’s Introduction
Agenda
I.
Program Structure
II.
Lesson Structure
III.
Strategies for Test Readiness
IV.
Implementation Models
Lesson Structure
FEATURE
Thinking KAP
Instruction
Independent
Practice
KAP Wrap
BENEFITS AND IMPLEMENTATION NOTES
•Quick, 1 or 2 minute introduction
•Makes the connection to the lesson, provides informal assessment of what
students already know, builds background knowledge
•4 pages of test taking strategies and review of key content covered on the test
•“Try it Out” exercises  opportunities to apply strategies to test-like questions
•May be conducted orally or as a whole class activity, individually, in pairs or
small groups.
•Challenging, test-like questions to practice applying the strategies learned
•Scaffolded instruction  every question has a hint to guide students
•May be completed in class or assigned for homework
•Opportunity for students to apply, review and reflect on the strategies learned
•May be completed in class or assigned as homework
Unit Objectives
Snapshot of the
student page
Objectives identified for
each lesson in the unit
Thinking KAP
• Use the focus question as your learning
objective or AIM
• Use the Thinking KAP as a warm-up
Instruction
• Four pages of instruction
• Key content review
• Strategy introduction
Instruction
Reinforcement:
Brief exercises can be
completed as a whole class, in
pairs, or individually depending
on readiness level.
Formative assessment: The
teacher is assessing students’
understanding and clarifying
any misunderstandings before
moving on.
Independent Practice
• Scaffolds: Every question
has a hint to guide
students.
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KAP Wrap
• Purpose: Recap and close
the lesson.
• Metacognition: Often
provides students with an
opportunity to reflect on
their learning.
Instructional Support
Teacher’s Notes
• List prerequisite skills
•Provide implementation suggestions
ELL Notes
• Support cultural awareness
• Promote vocabulary development
• Scaffold instruction
Challenges
• Suggest approaches for challenging concepts
• Identify misconceptions in wrong answer choices
•Apply the Kaplan Method
Math Glossary
• Defines common mathematical term
across grades
• Includes Spanish translations of key
vocabulary terms and number names
ELA Extension Activities
Reteaching: To reinforce
key concepts
Listening: To strengthen
students’ listening skills
Writing: To improve
students’ writing skills
Math Extension Activities
Reteaching:
To reinforce
key concepts
Journal Prompt:
To integrate
writing skills
Challenge Problem: To
stretch students’ high-level
reasoning skills
Agenda
I.
Program Structure
II.
Lesson Structure
III.
Strategies for Test Readiness
IV.
Implementation Models
What is critical thinking?
Two Types of Critical Thinking
Systematic
Thinking
Strategic Thinking
What is it?
A step-by step
method
Strategies for
different problem
types
What does it
look like?
The 4-Step Method
for Problem Solving,
The 3-Step Method
for Reading
Comprehension
Examples: Picking
Numbers,
Backsolving,
Eliminating,
Predicting, Making
Inferences, etc.
The 4-Step Method for Problem Solving
This method…
• standardizes the language of problem solving.
• helps teachers model “expert” problem solving.
• provides students with a systematic approach.
30
Step 1: Understand the problem
Eleven students were asked to
bring in baked goods for a
school bake sale. Each student
brought a package that
contained 6 cupcakes.
How many cupcakes in all did
the students bring to the bake
sale?
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• What is the problem basically
about?
Putting together
groups to get a total
• Restate the question in your own
words.
How many cupcakes
are there in all?
Step 2: Analyze important
information.
Eleven students were asked to
bring in baked goods for a
school bake sale. Each student
brought a package that
contained 6 cupcakes.
How many cupcakes in all did
the students bring to the bake
sale?
32
• Underline the clues.
• Rewrite the important
information in a helpful way.
I can draw a diagram.
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
Step 3: Plan and solve
33
What do you
KNOW?
I know the number of students
and the number of cupcakes for
each student.
What do you
NEED?
I need to figure out the total
number of cupcakes.
How can you use what you
KNOW to find what you
NEED?
I can multiply the number of
students by the number of
cupcakes to get the total.
6 x 11 = 66
Step 4: Check your work.
• Did you answer the right question?
Yes, I figured out the number of cupcakes.
• Is your answer reasonable?
Yes. If there were 10 students, there would be 60
cupcakes. So my answer should be a bit more than 60.
• Can you solve the problem another way?
I can count by sixes: 6, 12, 18, …
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The 3-Step Method for Reading Comprehension
This method…
• standardizes the language of problem solving.
• helps teachers model “expert” problem solving.
• provides students with a systematic approach.
Step 1: Read Actively
Read the passage and take notes.
Forgot two
things
Cake might
burn
Ask yourself what the passage is mostly about.
He might mess up her birthday because he isn’t
responsible.
Step 2: Examine the Question
Read the question and put it in your own words.
What is Markell like?
The information that you need to answer the question is
in the passage.
Forgot two
things
Cake might
burn
Step 3: Make Predictions
Don’t look at the answer
choices.
Predict the answer.
Forgetful, easily distracted
Look at the answer choices to
find the one that matches
your prediction.
A
B
C
D
absentminded
discourteous
friendly
relaxed
Two Types of Critical Thinking
Systematic
Thinking
Strategic Thinking
What is it?
A step-by step
method
Strategies for
different problem
types
What does it
look like?
The 4-Step Method
for Problem Solving,
The 3-Step Method
for Reading
Comprehension
Examples: Picking
Numbers,
Backsolving,
Eliminating,
Predicting, Making
Inferences, etc.
Backsolving
A
B
C
D
5
7 4(7) – 8 = 28  28 – 8 = 28
9 4(9) – 8 = 28  36 – 8 = 28
16
 Try a larger number.

Picking Numbers
Marina played tennis for 4 hours less than twice the
number of hours, h, that Chantal played. Which
expression could be used to find the number of hours
that Marina played tennis?
A
4h – 2 4(10) – 2 = 38
B
4 – 2h 4 – 2(10) = -16
C
2h – 4 2(10) – 4 = 16
D
2 – 4h 2 – 4(10) = -38

Pick h = 10
210 = 20
20 – 4 = 16
Critical Thinking for Reading
Comprehension
Before
You
Read
Scanning
Reading the Questions
While
You
Read
Reading Fiction
Reading Nonfiction
Reading Poetry
After
You
Read
Answering Main-Idea, Detail, Inference,
Vocabulary, and Short Response Questions
Predicting and Eliminating
Completing Graphic Organizers
Strategy: Combing for Context Clues
Read this sentence from the article.
Some things about ASL resemble the spoken English language in America,
but many things are very different.
Based on the excerpt, the word “resemble” means “resemble” must mean the
opposite of “different”
A borrow from
B are inspired by
C are the same as
D greatly differ from
Strategy Exploration
1. In your group, select one strategy from your assigned
unit.
2. Summarize the strategy and create a visual aid.
3. Consider the following questions:
• For what kind of question is this strategy most
appropriate to use?
• What is difficult about this type of question
for students?
• How will this strategy help students?
4. Select a group member to present your group’s
findings in a 2-minute presentation.
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Agenda
I.
Program Structure
II.
Lesson Structure
III.
Strategies for Test Readiness
IV.
Implementation Models
How will I implement Advantage?
• When will you be starting the program? When will you
need to be finished with the program?
• How many days a week will you devote? How many
minutes of each day will you devote?
• What part of the test is most difficult for your students?
• What category of strategies do your students need to
spend the most time practicing and perfecting?
• Note: In math, the methods taught in Unit 1 lay the
groundwork for all of the content strategies that follow.
Implementation Tips for Timing
Section
How?
Thinking KAP •Assign it as homework before class
•Spend less than two minutes on this in class
Instruction
•Identify areas that will be difficult for students and
outline a plan to target these areas
•Complete the Try It Out activities orally
Independent
Practice
•Complete half of the Independent Practice section
in class, assign the other half for homework
•Explain only the difficult questions in detail
KAP Wrap
•Assign for homework.
•Implement a KAP Wrap journal that could be used
as a study guide just before Test Day.
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Next Steps
• Read the Front Matter from Keys Advantage.
 Read the Keys Advantage Teachers Guide. This is what the
coaches will be looking for when you teach.
 Prepare your lesson for teach-backs.
Kaplan Mission Statement
We partner with schools to provide
high-quality instructional programs
that improve results and
help all students achieve.
If you have questions, please contact us:
K12support@kaplan.com