RACES: How to Answer Questions

It’s the time of year where many students are being tested to see what they know. 

One strategy that students can learn in order to do well is called R.A.C.E.S.  My husband found these words on the wall of our son’s middle school and then I looked more deeply into it. 

Let’s look at this simplified reading passage and question for a second. 

Mary quietly stepped between the towering trees. The smell of pine filled the air.  Suddenly she heard a screeching noise and jumped back startled. It was just a bird. Nothing more.

Restate - Rephrase the question.  Turn the question from a question into a statement.  For example, “How do you think marry felt?”  à I think Mary felt.…

Answer – Give a general answer.  So for this question it may be à I think Mary felt relieved.

Cite – Point out exactly where you found the answer. à I think Mary felt relieved because the passage says, “It was just a bird. Nothing more.” 

Explain – Rephrase your own words  This is where the student explains the quote. à I think Mary felt relieved because the passage says, “It was just a bird. Nothing more.” This means she probably though it was going to be something dangerous or scary, but because it was just a bird she is not scared anymore.

Summarize – One sentence explaining your answer overall. à I think Mary felt relieved because the passage says, “It was just a bird. Nothing more.”  This means that she probably thought it was going to be something dangerous or scary but it was just a bird.  For that reason I feel like she was relieved.

These five parts of an answer are so more and while this has just been applied to the simplest of passages, this can be used all the way through level courses.  It can be though of as.

1.     Introductory phrasing

2.     Answer

3.     Quote

4.     Explain Quote

5.     Summarize answer.