The following chart “maps” the skills assessed by the Connecticut
Mastery Test (CMT) for Language Arts against the cognitive strategies
that are explicitly taught in the Instrumental Enrichment (I.E.) thinking-skills
program, for elementary and higher grade levels.
Objectives From CMT: |
Cognitive Strategies Taught in I.E.: |
| A. Forming General Understanding |
|
| Find main idea |
Systematic exploration; staying relevant |
Identify important text elements
(characters, events, etc.) |
Labeling; projecting relationships; developing point-of-view ;
developing temporal relationships |
| Selecting relevant information |
Staying relevant |
| Make predictions |
Finding relationships; hypothesizing |
Use context clues
|
Projecting relationships
|
| B. Developing Interpretation |
|
| Infer author’s patterns |
Finding patterns; hypothesizing |
| Draw conclusions |
Using logic; analyzing |
Support conclusions
|
Using logic to prove a point; defending opinion; using metacognition
|
| C. Making Reader-Text Connections |
|
| Connection between text and outside experience |
Applying strategies to life situations; “bridging” |
Personally respond to text
|
Expressing individual viewpoints
|
| D. Examining Content and Structure |
|
Analysis of author’s craft
|
Analyzing; using two or more sources of information; understanding
sequence |
| Synthesize information to evaluate the text |
Comparing; categorizing; judging explaining what makes
sense and what does not |
| Be aware of author’s beliefs and character’s
beliefs |
Breaking egocentric communication; developing different
points-of-view
|
| Editing and Revising |
|
| A. Content and Organization |
Making a plan; organizing unorganized data; sequencing |
| B. Syntax |
Overcoming trial-and-error; labeling |
| C. Word Choice |
Comparing; broadening mental field; being precise |
| Mechanical corrections |
Being precise; exploring systematically; following
instructions
|
| Writing Prompt |
|
| Describe |
Using two or more sources of information; labeling |
| Explain |
Elaborating; using logic. |
| Use Details |
Being precise; projecting relationships. |
| Organize |
Organizing; creating patterns. |
