Gretchen Elliot, Meagan Ricks, and Kristen Pennycuff Trent Using Larry Bell’s 12 Powerful Words to Motivate and Lead Students to Understand Test Taking Terms Gretchen Elliot, Meagan Ricks, and Kristen Pennycuff Trent

Thinking About Verbs Think about verbs that you have seen on TCAP or other tests Can you brainstorm 12 powerful verbs that you have seen in test questions? What do we mean by powerful words? These are the words that stump students when they take standardized tests. Students may feel intimidated or confused by these words causing them to answer a question incorrectly when they know the answer. After brainstorming, ask groups to share. As they share, post powerful words on board. Give each group a set of word cards and meanings, ask them to share matches with the class. When a correct meaning is matched, post on board and ask participants to move cards around as needed. Ask participants why these words are important and how these words affect what the question is asking.

Larry Bell’s 12 Powerful Words Trace List in steps Analyze Break apart Infer Read between the lines Evaluate Judge Formulate Create Describe Tell all about it Support Back up with details Explain Tell how Summarize Give me the short version Compare All the ways they are alike Contrast All the ways they are different Predict What will happen next Help all students: To better understand what each question means To become familiar with words that require higher order thinking skills To relieve test anxiety To achieve better on tests

Why is this important? It’s hard to answer the question in any subject if you do not know what the question means or is asking. Adults have trouble Put yourself in students place Double and triple threat The goal Universal words Many adults have trouble with these words and definitions. Even when adults do know the meaning, they have trouble putting them into words that are child friendly, especially for at risk kids. Put yourself in the place of students: imagine yourself as an un-motivated, at-risk student. Pretend it’s TCAP day and you encounter these words for the first time this year. What would be your reaction? Skip them! Double and triple trouble: As that same student, what do you when you encounter a TCAP question with two or three of those powerful words in the same question? The goal has to be for every student in your class to be on friendly terms and thoroughly familiar with all 12 words. These 12 words are universal: They’re found in standardized tests in practically every subject and every grade level.

What Can You Do? Use them daily Otherwise some students rarely hear them Ask students to explain what you mean when you use one of the 12 powerful words Rephrase what students say using a power verb Use them in normal, everyday conversation

What Can You Do? Have a Word of the Day Select a word to focus on each day Make sure it appears over and over Ask students to constantly find ways to say and write the word all period or day Have students start class by telling how the word is a part of their everyday lives

What Can You Do? Display the words on posters you or students create Put the 12 Powerful Words on quizzes and tests Use a child-friendly definition or synonym in parenthesis

What Can You Do? Invite students to create a rap using the 12 Powerful Words and motions Elementary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE59sLjNVxs&feature=related Middle: http://www.schooltube.com/video/7b917d095d843e7c9224/12-Power-Words High School: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdsaLduyChw&feature=related

What Can You Do? Create piggyback songs and rhymes for the 12 Powerful Words using motions Use classic songs Use nursery rhymes and songs from childhood Get students involved in the creative process too

12 Words “Adams Family” We trace and analyze Twelve Words (snap, snap) Infer and evaluate, We formulate, describe We use the Twelve Words Twelve Words (snap, snap) Twelve Words, Twelve Words Support it and explain it Compare it and contrast it Summarize and predict it Submitted by Robyn Flowers - Bel Air Elem.

What Can You Do? Invite students to write using all 12 Powerful Words on each page A nonfiction story about their own lives A fictitious story about their lives in the future A summary of the day’s activities Poetry Connects school and home Gets students emotionally involved as well as facilitates higher order thinking

What Can You Do? Start a Powerful Words Wall of Fame Develop categories such as best rap, best country song, best poetry, best poster, etc… and tape writing and pictures of students

What Can You Do? Create an interactive bulletin board

What Can You Do? Play games I Have… Who Has… Internet based games SWAT http://www.quia.com/hm/265995.html?AP_rand=1956501726 http://dynamo.dictionary.com/125056/12-powerful-words-by-larry-bell#&slider1=1 http://www.quia.com/mc/933473.html?AP_rand=1648362743 SWAT

SWAT

Suggestions for Including Parents Send home a word of the week Ask parents to write lunch box notes with the words Ask parents to encourage students to use the words at dinner when describing their day Create games to send home for parents to play with the student Hold a family song, rap, or poetry contest

How Will You Use the 12 Powerful Words? Write on your index cards, then share with an elbow partner.

Resources Bell, L. (2005). 12 Powerful Words that Increase Test Scores and Help Close the Achievement Gap. Multicultural America: Manassas, VA. http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/TaylorES/documents/12PowerfulWordsIllustrated.pdf http://jc-schools.net/12powerfulwords/12powerfulwords.ppt#256,1,12 Powerful Words