Signal Words in Textbook Passages
Academic connectives that tell the reader what the author is about to do.
Session summary (SOAP)
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Mark a card Correct, Correct with cue or Incorrect and the summary writes itself here.
How to run it
Find them in real text. These words earn their keep in a textbook paragraph, and the exercise is spotting one and predicting what comes next before reading it — that prediction is the skill. Sort them into groups by function: contrast, result, addition, emphasis and time. Twelve minutes covers the eight with a real passage.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentPresent the item and wait 5 seconds of quiet before helping.Log as correct
- HintReread the key sentence, or point back to the clue in the text or picture.Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
- ModelThink aloud: say how you worked it out, then the student says the answer and why.Log as cued
Adjust it
Read it aloud to the student and offer two choices from the start.
Ask the student to say which words gave them the clue, not just the answer.
Matching IEP goal
Given short texts or spoken prompts, Student will answer comprehension questions correctly in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than an indirect cue.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Eight academic connectives with what each one announces: nevertheless — a contrast is coming; consequently — a result is coming; in contrast — these two things differ; furthermore — more support for the same point; conversely — now the opposite case; notably — the author thinks this one matters most; prior to — this happened earlier; regardless — the point stands anyway. Each tells a reader what the next sentence will do.
What to listen for
Watch nevertheless and regardless, which both signal that a point survives an objection and are the most abstract here. A student who reads nevertheless as another supporting point has lost the argument's shape. Notice whether the student can predict — if they can say a contrast is coming before reading on, the word is doing its job.
Carrying it home
Any textbook or news article supplies these. Stopping at a connective and asking what is about to happen takes five seconds and makes the structure of a paragraph visible.
What's in this activity
- nevertheless -- a contrast is coming
- consequently -- a result is coming
- in contrast -- these two things differ
- furthermore -- more support for the same point
- conversely -- now the opposite case
- notably -- the author thinks this one matters most
- prior to -- this happened earlier
- regardless -- the point stands anyway
Questions
- What grades is this for?
- Ninth through twelfth, where textbook and academic prose become the main reading.
- Is it free?
- Yes, all eight cards play with no account.
- Why do connectives matter for comprehension?
- Because they tell the reader what to do with the next sentence. A student who misses nevertheless reads a contrast as agreement, which changes the meaning of the whole paragraph.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.