Prove It

"Use text evidence to support your answer" appears on nearly every reading assessment. Yet many students struggle with it because they have not been taught the skill explicitly.

What Text Evidence Means

Text evidence is specific information from the text (a quote, paraphrase, or detail) used to support an answer, claim, or argument. It is the proof that backs up what you are saying.

Teaching the Process

Step 1: Make a Claim -- State your answer or position clearly.

Step 2: Find Evidence -- Go back to the text and find specific information that supports your claim. Highlight, underline, or note the page number.

Step 3: Explain the Connection -- This is the hardest part. Students must explain HOW the evidence supports their claim. The evidence does not speak for itself.

Sentence Frames

Provide scaffolding with frames:

"According to the text, ___."
"The author states, '___,' which shows that ___."
"On page ___, it says ___, which supports the idea that ___."
"Evidence of this can be found when the author writes ___."

The ACE Strategy

A common framework:

Answer the question
Cite evidence from the text
Explain how the evidence supports your answer

Some teachers add an S for Summarize or a second E for Extend.

Common Problems

No Evidence -- Students answer without referencing the text. Teach them that evidence is required, not optional.

Wrong Evidence -- Students cite evidence that does not actually support their claim. Practice selecting the BEST evidence, not just any evidence.

No Explanation -- Students provide a quote but do not explain its significance. The explanation is what demonstrates understanding.

Over-Quoting -- Students copy large chunks of text. Teach them to select the most relevant phrase or sentence.

Practice Across Subjects

Text evidence is not just for ELA. Science: cite data. Social Studies: cite primary sources. Math: explain reasoning. The skill transfers.

Use the quiz generator to create text-evidence based assessments.

Teaching Students to Use Text Evidence