Instantly Increase the Precision and Sophistication of Student Responses by Changing the Way Teachers Use Adjectives

Hello again and happy Wednesday!  Last week, we saw how asking students to use targeted academic nouns better prepares them for upcoming state and national testing requirements. 

Thank you to all of the principals who sent in comments and questions regarding their own site observations. We really enjoy hearing from you and it is exciting to hear how so many sites were able to see immediate improvements in students’ use of academic, test-sounding language.

For this week, we are going to go beyond requiring students to formulate a complete sentence free of any requirements.  This tip shows teachers how to increase students’ sentence complexity by specifying that a certain language structure be used: academic adjectives.

Remember, these tips focus on one of the most neglected elements about the “new” form of state and national tests.  Here it is:

Here’s an example of the change. 

Ten years ago, the test question sounded like this:

Today, that question looks very different.    

Foundational to answering this question correctly is the student’s ability to choose specific and effective adjectives as well as write in academic-sounding complete sentences. For these reasons, it is not enough for teachers to simply tell students to “describe” the character as they see him or her in their mind.   And tests no longer simply ask students to select words from a list of choices.

The effective and grade-appropriate use of adjectives is one key way students can meet the demands of today’s tests.  Let’s first see how teachers at your school are requiring students to use adjectives effectively in their oral and written answers.