Teacher Reference
Pitfall 1: "Because..."
Why: Kids want to answer fast.
Fix: Post a "NO BECAUSE AT THE START" sign. Prompt: "Because what? Give me the subject first!"
Pitfall 2: Copying "What"
Why: "What the reader can infer is..."
Fix: Physically cover the word "What" with an index card or sticky note before they begin writing.
Pitfall 3: Dropping Verb
Why: Leaving out "infer" or "support".
Fix: Remind them: "Use the magic test word in your answer so the test scorer knows you answered the exact skill."
Part 1: Warm-Up (Choose Best Restate)
Item 1: B (The reader can infer that Leo's decision...)
Item 2: A (The text suggests that the storm...)
Part 2: Guided Practice ("Inference" Flips)
3. Fill in blank: The reader can infer that Sophia felt [nervous / excited...].
4. Model: "The author implies that the castle's secret passage was..." (or "The text implies that...")
5. Model: "The reader can conclude that the birds flew south early because..."
Part 3: Detail & Key Idea Flips
6. Model: "The detail that best supports the idea that the desert tortoise is well-adapted is..."
7. Model: "The details in paragraph 2 show the key idea by explaining..."
Part 4: Micro-Text Application Exemplars
Passage 1 (Mateo):
Restatement & Answer: "The reader can infer that Mateo is in danger of running out of water and getting lost in the heat because his canteen only has two drops left."
Passage 2 (Honeybees):
Restatement & Answer: "The details reveal the key idea that honeybees communicate by dancing to show other bees where to find food."
Intervention Tip for Striving Writers:
Have students highlight the word "that" in yellow on their papers every time they write a restatement. It forces them to bridge the subject to the answer!
Question Flip Mastery • Teacher Instructional Resource Page 2 of 3
Teacher talk, think-aloud formulas, and answers for the Argument Practice Worksheet
Teacher Reference
The Problem: When asked "Which detail best supports the claim that phones hurt learning?", students instinctively write: "Because they get lower grades."
The 3-Piece Turnaround: Teach them to assemble three Lego blocks:
Block 1: The Subject
"The detail that best supports..." Block 2: The Claim
"...the claim that phones hurt learning..." Block 3: The Bridge
"...IS THAT average test scores dropped."
Part 1: Restating Inference Questions
1. Completed Frame: "The reader can infer that the author's viewpoint is that smartphones distract students and should be banned/locked away during class."
2. Model Restatement: "The text suggests that silenced phones still distract students because their brains waste energy wondering if an alert or message arrived."
Parts 2, 3 & 4: Evaluating Details & Determining Key Ideas
3. Detail Evaluation (Paragraph 2):
"The detail from paragraph 2 that best supports the claim that phone bans improve student learning is that average test scores jumped by more than six percent when schools locked up phones."
4. Counterargument Evaluation (Paragraph 3):
"The details in paragraph 3 evaluate the counterargument about parent emergencies by explaining that schools have reliable front-office phone systems that deliver urgent messages instantly."
5. Big Picture Synthesis (Whole Text):
"The details in the article reveal the key idea that locking away phones helps students focus on their classes, experience less stress, and connect face-to-face with friends."
Anchor to the Author:
In argumentative texts, tell students: "Whenever you see 'infer' or 'claim', put 'the author' as the star of your sentence!"
Question Flip Mastery • Teacher Instructional Resource Page 3 of 3
Write your complete restated sentence starter and quote or summarize the detail:
Part 3
Restate using "The details in paragraph 3 evaluate the counterargument by...":
Part 4
Restate and complete your response in 1-2 complete sentences:
Argument Restate Quality Check
Did I name "the author" or "the text"? Did I include the claim/detail? No sentence starts with "Because"!
Argumentative Nonfiction Restatements • Screen Bans Page 2 of 2
