Every year our students do well on
the AP test. Every year I get a score
report back that lists skills I can practice with my students to help them do
even better. Every year the only skill
listed on the report is “understanding pre-20th century prose.” It’s difficult: understanding pre-20th
century prose. The vocabulary is archaic
and complex. The syntax is beyond
complex. So kids struggle. Adults struggle. So, we practice.
And we did. With three different prompts this week and they report--according to the scales--that theya re feeling more confident about tackling this part of the test. We used three separate prompts which I believe was just enough with out beating it to death. In addition we ended up working on thesis statements and I was able to individualize instruction with those helping students eliminate wordiness and redundancies in their prose.
What would I do differently?
Probably this focus should come earlier in the year so that we can most consistently practice our skills of reading comprehension throughout the entire year.
