Ohio State Test Preparation

Dear Fairfax Families,

The RACE strategy is a great way for students to write thorough and well-structured responses to reading questions. It helps them organize their thoughts, use evidence from the text, and explain their reasoning clearly.

Here’s what RACE stands for:

🔹 R – Restate the Question
Turn the question into a statement to begin your answer.
✅ Example: If the question asks, “What is the main idea of the passage?” you can start your response with:
➡️ The main idea of the passage is…

🔹 A – Answer the Question
Directly respond to what the question is asking.
✅ Example: The main idea of the passage is that teamwork is important for success.

🔹 C – Cite Evidence from the Text
Provide one or two details from the passage to support your answer.
✅ Example: One detail that supports this is when the characters work together to build a bridge. Another detail is when they solve a problem by sharing their ideas.

🔹 E – Explain Your Answer
Wrap up your response by explaining how your evidence supports your answer.
✅ Example: These details show that when people work together and help each other, they can achieve their goals.

Example Using the RACE Method

🔹 Question: What lesson does the character learn in the story? Use details from the text to support your response.

✅ Answer Using RACE:
R (Restate): The character learns the lesson that honesty is important.
A (Answer): At first, the character tells a lie to avoid getting in trouble.
C (Cite): The text states, “When Sarah lied about breaking the vase, she felt guilty and nervous all day.” Later, the story says, “Sarah finally told the truth, and her mom appreciated her honesty.”
E (Explain): This shows that the lesson of the story is that telling the truth is always the best choice because it helps people trust each other.

How Parents Can Help at Home

✔️ Practice using RACE when answering questions after reading.
✔️ Encourage your child to find text evidence to support their answers.
✔️ Ask them to explain their thinking in their own words.

By using RACE, students will be more prepared for the Ohio State Tests in April and develop strong writing skills! Tomorrow, I will send home ways you and your child can practice the R (restating the question) in the RACE method.

Warm regards,

Dr. Walker,
Principal, Fairfax Elementary School

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Fairfax Elementary School

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