Echo Probes Worksheet
Reading Goal Probe 1
Question Echo Monitoring
Restate Score: ___ / 6 pts
Accuracy Score: ___ / 6 pts
Student:
Date:
Attempt:
Goal Strategy: Cross out the question word, reuse the question stem, and complete your thought using evidence from the text.
Passage 1: The Midnight Lighthouse Watch
Lexile 680L • 108 Words
Before automated electric towers were installed along rocky coastlines, lightkeepers lived isolated lives to keep ships safe. Each evening before sunset, the keeper climbed ninety iron steps up the spiral staircase. The keeper had to trim the oil lamp wicks every few hours so the flame burned bright without smoking the glass lens. During fierce winter blizzards, ocean waves battered the granite walls, and thick ice coated the lantern room windows. If the revolving brass gears froze, the keeper turned the giant Fresnel lens by hand all night until sunrise. Their steady vigil guided countless sailors safely away from jagged reefs.
1. Why did the lightkeeper have to trim the oil lamp wicks every few hours?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
2. What did the keeper do if the revolving brass gears froze during a blizzard?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
3. How did the keeper's steady vigil protect traveling sailors?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
Self-Check Checklist: Removed question words Reused prompt stem Complete sentence
Form A • Sheet 1 of 3
Reading Goal Probe 2
Question Echo Monitoring
Restate Score: ___ / 6 pts
Accuracy Score: ___ / 6 pts
Student:
Date:
Attempt:
Goal Strategy: Cross out the question word, reuse the question stem, and complete your thought using evidence from the text.
Passage 2: Architects of the Desert
Lexile 700L • 112 Words
The trapdoor spider is one of the desert’s most clever subterranean builders. Using its sharp jaw rakes, the spider excavates an eight-inch vertical tunnel into packed soil. It coats the interior walls with saliva and silken threads to prevent collapse. Next, the spider crafts a perfectly circular hinged lid made of dirt, pebbles, and moss woven together with tough web material. When closed, this camouflaged hatch completely conceals the burrow entrance from predators. The spider waits patiently underneath, feeling vibrations through thin silk trigger lines whenever an unsuspecting beetle wanders nearby, allowing the spider to ambush swiftly and disappear underground.
1. What materials does the trapdoor spider weave together to make its hinged lid?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
2. Why does the spider coat the inside walls with saliva and silken threads?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
3. How does the trapdoor spider know when prey is wandering nearby?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
Self-Check Checklist: Removed question words Reused prompt stem Complete sentence
Form B • Sheet 2 of 3
Reading Goal Probe 3
Question Echo Monitoring
Restate Score: ___ / 6 pts
Accuracy Score: ___ / 6 pts
Student:
Date:
Attempt:
Goal Strategy: Cross out the question word, reuse the question stem, and complete your thought using evidence from the text.
Passage 3: The Deep-Sea Glider
Lexile 710L • 105 Words
Marine scientists now study the mysteries of the deep sea using yellow autonomous robotic gliders. Unlike typical research submarines, gliders do not have noisy motors or whirling propellers. Instead, an internal hydraulic pump inflates and deflates a small oil bladder. This shifts the glider’s buoyancy, pulling it down toward icy ocean trenches and letting it glide upward through water currents. Because gliders use minimal battery power, they can collect water temperature, salt salinity, and coral health data silently for months at a time. When surfacing, their satellite antenna transmits valuable climate discoveries directly to scientists ashore.
1. How does an underwater glider move without using motors or propellers?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
2. Why are robotic gliders able to collect data silently for months at a time?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
3. What happens when the glider surfaces after completing a deep ocean dive?
Restate: __/2 | Fact: __/2
Self-Check Checklist: Removed question words Reused prompt stem Complete sentence
Form C • Sheet 3 of 3
Echo Strategy Guide
Visual Anchor Chart
The Question Echo Strategy
Turn Questions Into Answers!
Why restate? When you echo the question in your response, your answer stands alone as a complete thought. Anyone reading your sentence will know exactly what question you were asked—even without seeing the question!
4 Steps to Echo Any Question
1
Drop Question Words
Cross out words that ask: Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Does, Did, Can.
Why did the keeper climb the stairs?
2
Grab the Question Stem
Underline the subject and main action words left in the question.
... the keeper climbed the stairs?
3
Echo the Stem First
Capitalize the first letter and use the stem as the start of your sentence.
"The keeper climbed the stairs..."
4
Complete with Evidence
Add connector words (because, by, to) and facts from the text.
"...because he needed to trim the wicks."
Formula Swap Guide (Common Question Types)
| When the Question asks... | Start your answer with... | Add connector & fact: |
|---|
| Why did [subject] [action]? | [Subject] [action]ed... | ...because [text evidence]. |
| How does [subject] [action]? | [Subject] [actions]... | ...by [text evidence]. |
| Where did [subject] [action]? | [Subject] [action]ed... | ...in / at [location in text]. |
| What is [subject]'s main purpose? | [Subject]'s main purpose is... | ...to [purpose in text]. |
What NOT to Do (Common Traps)
- ✗ Never start with "Because..." as your first word.
- ✗ Never keep question words: "Why he did it was..."
- ✗ Never write one-word fragments: "At night."
Mastery Moves (Target Goal)
- ✓ Capital letter at the start of your stem.
- ✓ Full naming subject (e.g. "The trapdoor spider").
- ✓ Concludes with clear punctuation (. or !).
Desk-Side Quick Check Card (Keep this beside your paper!) 3-Second Sanity Check
