Think Then Write Workbook 8: Writing Responses to Short Answer Questions

Think, Then Write Workbook 8: a step-by-step, illustrated, fully-scripted, and scaffolded guide to help students to write responses to short answer questions

What we cover in this resource

This resource is about answering questions in exams and tests that require short written responses.

Short answer questions are common across many school subjects and exams, at all stages of school. To answer questions like these, you need to understand the subject - the content of what you have been taught.

But you also need to understand what you are being asked to do in the question, and how to answer different types of questions appropriately.

How we teach it

We break it down into 6 interactive and scripted steps:

1. First, we look at real world examples of test and exam questions that require a short response.
2. Second, we look at the importance of understanding key academic verbs so that you can understand and answer questions properly.
3. Third, we practice defining academic verbs; and then look at some words you can use in your answers that go with different academic verbs. Finally, we practice answering questions that contain academic verbs, using general knowledge.
4. Fourth, we practice recasting the words in the question to make sure we answer the question precisely. We look at real exam questions, then learn four steps to recast questions. Finally, we practice recasting questions in answers using the four step process and general knowledge.
5. Fifth, we practice giving concrete (specific) examples in our answers to improve our responses to short answer questions. We look at examples from model responses to real exam questions. We then practice giving concrete examples in answers to questions using our general knowledge.
6. Sixth, we wrap up our work on writing answers to short answer questions, and outline some other evidence-based techniques to level up your studies, with links and resources you can explore to make your studies more effective.

This plain English resource is designed to be useful for older students of all abilities, including many students with language and other neurodevelopmental disorders.