Coasting with Costa
100:Which level of Costa’s is about gathering basic facts, definitions, or recall?
→ Level 1 – Gathering/Input.
100: What does “GPA” stand for?
→ What is Grade Point Average?
100: This phase of the critical reading process happens before you start reading and helps you set a purpose
What is the Activate phase?
100: This document students complete before tutorials to explain what they are confused about.
What is the Tutorial Request Form (TRF)?
100: What do you do during the first phase of focused note-taking?
→ Select a format, set an essential question, and then take notes.
200: Which level of Costa’s requires you to process information by comparing, contrasting, or explaining relationships?
→ Level 2 – Processing.
200: What is a 4-year college degree called?
→ What is a Bachelor’s Degree?
300: Name one way to pay for college.
→ What is a scholarship, grant, or student loan?
400: What is a college major?
→ What is the main subject you study in college?
500: What is the difference between a university and a community college?
→ What is a university offers 4-year (and beyond) degrees, while a community college offers 2-year degrees or certifications?
200: This phase includes previewing the text, building background knowledge, and learning key vocabulary.
Engage Phase
200: This is the specific academic question a student brings to the tutorial that guides the entire discussion.
What is the Point of Confusion (POC)
200: In Phase 2, you go back and improve your notes. What is this step called?
→ Processing Notes (underlining, circling, highlighting, identifying main ideas).
300: A teacher asks: “How does the main character’s decision affect the outcome of the story?” What level of Costa’s is this?
→ Level 2 – Processing.
300: Name one way to pay for college.
→ What is a scholarship, grant, or student loan?
300: Numbering paragraphs, chunking the text, writing in the margins, and asking questions are all part of this phase.
What is Interacting With the Text?
300: During this step, the presenter explains their POC aloud in a short speech before the group begins questioning.
What is the 60-Second Speech?
300: Which phase of the process involves writing questions and connecting the notes to your thinking?
→ Phase 3, Connecting Thinking.
400: Create your own Level 3 question about a math problem you’re learning.
→ Answers will vary, but must involve applying or evaluating beyond the problem itself (e.g., “How could this formula be applied in real life budgeting?”).
400: What is a college major?
→ What is the main subject you study in college?
400: This phase asks students to apply, analyze, evaluate, or synthesize information from the text to complete an academic task.
What is the Extend phase?
400: This tutorial skill requires students to ask open-ended questions, listen carefully, and build understanding together.
What is collaborative inquiry?
400: Summarizing in Phase 4 is more than just copying. What makes a good summary in focused note-taking?
→ It should capture the essential idea in your own words, connect to the questions, and explain why the information matters.
500: Why is it important for AVID students to ask Level 2 and 3 questions instead of staying at Level 1?
→ Because higher-level questions lead to deeper understanding, critical thinking, and college readiness — not just memorization.
500: What is the difference between a university and a community college?
→ What is a university offers 4-year (and beyond) degrees, while a community college provides 2-year degrees or certifications?
500: This skill is used throughout all phases of the critical reading process, not just in one step.
Building Vocabulary
500: This final tutorial step shows that learning continues beyond AVID by using new understanding in regular classes.
Apply
500: In Phase 5, you “Use Your Notes.” Imagine you’re preparing for a big test — describe two different strategies you could use to study from your notes.
→Possible answers: creating Cornell study questions, quizzing with a partner, rewriting or color-coding, making a timeline, teaching the material to someone else, etc.