Text Dependent Analysis prompts expect students to read complex text(s), either narrative or informational, and provide a critical response by drawing evidence from text(s) to “support analysis, reflection, and research” using effective communication skills to write an essay in response to a prompt. In their response, a student needs to make inferences about the author’s meaning, using both explicit and implicit evidence to support an overall analysis of the reading elements (literary and literary nonfiction) found within the text. This toolkit is designed to provide guidance and direction to teachers pertaining to the teaching, learning, and assessing of text dependent analysis.
- Introduction
- The Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) grade-span Learning Progressions (LPs) are designed to be used as an instructional tool. The TDA LPs are structured in grade spans (3-5 and 6-8) with four levels, Beginning, Emerging, Developing, and Meeting. The levels describe the typical path seen in student responses as the student moves toward demonstrating more sophisticated understanding of analysis. The LPs include descriptions of student work which characterize each level from the beginning TDA writer to one who is meeting the expectations of text dependent analysis essay writing. The TDA LPs can be used by teachers to identify student strengths and needs based on what a student can do at a specific point in time. This informs the teacher's instructional decision-making about moving student comprehension, analysis, and writing to the next level.
