Building Better Responses With the RACE Writing Strategy 

Formulating strong written responses to academic questions can be challenging for learners, especially when they need to go beyond basics to bring in evidence and explain their thinking clearly. At Cedaredge Elementary in Colorado, third-grade teacher Elisa Galvan uses an easy-to-remember framework called RACE response to help students build their skills. 

RACE is an acronym and each letter corresponds to a step—R for Restate the Question, A for Answer the Question, C for Cite Evidence, and E for Explain or Expand on Your Thinking. Some educators add an ‘S’ for Summarize. Galvan’s students use the framework almost every day, across subjects, so the steps become a familiar part of their writing process.

During a lesson on human anatomy, students are learning about the purpose of cartilage and how it helps the body. Galvan begins with a question and guides the class through writing a RACE response. One student starts by restating the question, while another finds the answer in the text and shares it with the class. “Make sure you’re answering the question that’s actually asked,” Galvan reminds them. 

Next, students cite evidence from the text. Galvan emphasizes being specific about where their information comes from, helping students develop the habit of supporting their ideas rather than simply stating an answer. To make this easier, the class numbers the paragraphs in their reading so students can quickly identify and refer to the information they used. The final step—expanding their thinking—is often the most challenging. Students add information in their own words while considering their reader. “What else would [your] reader want to know?” Galvan prompts them. Her question is designed to push her students to think about who their audience is and what other information that audience might need.

At first, Galvan guides the students through the process of crafting a RACE response herself. But as students become more familiar with the framework, she releases them to work independently while she circulates the room, watching their work and stepping in when they need support. “It’s a practice we keep doing all year long,” she says. “And it just gets better and better.”

To find more strategies to help students strengthen their writing and build stamina, read Paul Emerich France’s article for Edutopia, “A Simple Way to Get Elementary Students Writing Every Day.”