Fourth Grade · Reading · week 34

Performance-Task Reading Practice

Build a short outline that organizes a position and matches specific evidence to specific sources, before writing a performance-task response.

An SBAC performance task asks a student to read two or three short sources on a topic, then write a longer response using information from all the sources together. The key skill is organizing an outline BEFORE writing: a clear position or main idea, then which fact from which source supports each point.

Topic: should schools have longer recess? Source 1: "A study of several elementary schools found that students who had at least 45 minutes of recess showed improved focus during afternoon classes, compared to students with only 15 minutes." Source 2: "Some schools that lengthened recess found it required rearranging the whole day's schedule, which was difficult for classes that share a single playground with several other grades."

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Practice the outline step separately from the writing step this week -- rushing straight to writing is the most common mistake.
  • Use a simple numbered list for the outline: position first, then one line per source showing exactly what it contributes.
  • Remind your child that a strong response often acknowledges a challenge or counterpoint, like Source 2 here, rather than ignoring it.
  • This connects directly to Weeks 21 and 27's combining skill -- a performance task is really just combining sources, then writing about it.
Talk about it:
  • Why might planning an outline first actually save time compared to just starting to write?
  • Do you agree with the balanced position in the example, or would you argue something different? Why?
  • What is a school topic you would want to research and write about using multiple sources?

Mastery looks like: They can build a short outline that organizes a position and matches specific evidence to specific sources, before writing a performance-task response.

Common stumbles: Skipping the outline and writing directly, which often leaves out evidence from one of the sources; using only the source that supports one point of view.

See it visually

Interactive, spoken-aloud tools that show this idea in motion.

Essay & Thesis PlannerShape a thesis and outline an intro, body, and conclusion.try →
Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Reading for this learner.
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