Secrets Revealed: Reading Comprehension on Standardized Multiple-Choice Exams

A simple shift in instruction that helps struggling readers earn higher scores.
Improve reading comprehension scores—without sacrificing the joy of reading.

Feeling helpless when teaching reading comprehension?

Feel helpless no longer!
Strong reading comprehension depends on how students interpret the question and the language of the answer choices. Instead of viewing multiple-choice questions as obstacles to deep reading, this approach shows teachers how to use them as tools for close reading—especially with texts students would struggle to comprehend on their own.

Using the Reverse Method, students learn to:

Focus on what the question is actually asking

Pay close attention to the language of the answer choices

Use the structure of the passage to guide their reading

Avoid overanalyzing or relying on memory

Eliminate incorrect answers with evidence from the text

Session Details:

Length: 5 hours
CTLE Credit: 5 NYS CTLE Hours
Format: On-Demand (self-paced)
Access: Self-paced digital ebook course with 2 years of access from date of purchase
Materials: Downloadable resources included
Certificate: Certificate of Completion provided upon successful completion
Cost: $85

Who This Course Is For

  • Middle and high school ELA teachers
  • Educators teaching reading comprehension through multiple-choice assessments
  • Teachers preparing students for standardized reading exams

  • Educators seeking clearer, more accessible approaches to reading comprehension instruction

What's included?

Simple Strategy to decode multiple-choice questions
Step-by-step guide and printable student handouts 
Elimination strategies using contrast words, tone shifts, and logic

Learning Outcomes

✅ Use the Reverse Method to break down standardized reading tasks

✅ Scaffold reading passages with tools that promote deeper comprehension

✅ Engage students across ability levels through creative and rigorous instruction

✅Support higher student performance on standardized reading assessments through proven, strategy-based instruction

Alison Mertz

Alison Mertz brings over two decades of expertise in reading comprehension, literary analysis, and standardized test preparation to her professional development courses. A nationally recognized educator and recipient of the National Educator Gold Medal from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Alison has a proven track record of helping students achieve exceptional results. Her students consistently perform in the top percentiles on the SAT and AP Literature exams, outperforming state and national averages year after year.

What sets Alison apart is not only her mastery of testing strategies but also her ability to reignite a love of reading in students. Through innovative methods like the Reverse Method, she equips teachers with powerful tools to decode complex questions, tackle dense texts, and foster critical thinking without sacrificing student engagement or joy.

Whether you're new to teaching or a seasoned educator, this course delivers the kind of insight and classroom-ready techniques that make a measurable difference—for students and for you.
"Alison Mertz creates a challenging and inclusive program for all learners. She displays extensive knowledge of her content."
-Alexa Altman, 
High School Teacher

Greenlight PD LLC.
1474 Baldwin Boulevard
Bay Shore, NY 11706

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