PCQC

As educators across the state turn the calendar to the month of February, our thoughts also turn to the dreaded PSSA test. Have I done enough? Will my students succeed? What if many are below proficient? Should I forego that wonderful new unit in reading or writing and concentrate on "practice tests"? These and a million other similar questions seem to attack us with the vigor of the February wind. Apparently teachers, as well as students, would find a tangible strategy helpful as they prepare students for the state reading assessments. With this in mind, I created PCQC.

For most people, progressing through a series of steps when confronted with a challenging task is advantageous. Consider how you learned (or teach) long division. If you follow the proper sequence, not only will you arrive at the correct answer, you will have a fairly easy time getting there. When we use this same concept and provide steps that will facilitate our students' approach to the PSSA reading test, we are setting them up for success. Here are the steps of PCQC:

PREVIEW
-Carefully read the title and author.
-Read the header
-Examine any text supports: pictures, captions, charts, graphs, maps,
vocabulary, bold words, etc.
-Read all questions carefully

CHUNK
-Break passage into manageable chunks.
-Stop after reading each chunk of text and think about what it means.
-Reread if necessary.

QUESTION
-Read each question and the answer choices carefully.
-Consider what kind of question it is (Based on QAR strategy)
-Think about possible answers.
-Choose the best answer.
-Return to text to find support for your choice.

CHECK
-Reread all questions and the answer you chose.
-Ask yourself...Does my answer make sense?
Why did I chose that answer?

If students habitually use this PCQC strategy, they will have the tools to successfully navigate any reading assessment.