Search & Destroy

Edward Harris II Palm Beach County Schools

Math & Reading Teacher

Search & Destroy

A plan of attack for the Test

Four action steps 1. Previewing the Text2. Focus Questions3. Chunking4. Mark Up the Text

Search & Destroy

• Students are to preview the text and its features, the headings, subheadings, words and phrases in bold or italics, illustrations, maps, and charts with captions.

• Students are to give the text a cursory first read (briefly skim & scan the article for hot words significant ‐items that may “jump out” at them).

• Next have students preview the questions (read each question one time through without answering the questions). Students are previewing the questions to indentify hot words and to focus their reading (Focus Questions).

• After previewing the questions, have students refer to the article and map out where in the article they think they will find the answer to each question.

• Have students draw a line break after each Focus Paragraph that they have identified contains a question

answer. Have students then read the text in these smaller chunks of text (Chunking).

• Encourage students when reading to take Margin Notes when needed to help “hold their” thinking and focus them on the text.