A Closer Look at the Common Core Standards in Literacy

K-2

Dana Fulmer Karen Brooks

Goals of the Day

• Understanding the Key Shifts• Know Language – Speaking & Listening &

Writing Standards• Example examples of student writing

(Exemplars)• Begin Designing aligned writing projects

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/228951198105862145#tlsite

Recap of Last Session

• Key Shift – What are they?• What is a Close Reading?

6 Key Shifts in Literacy

1. Range of Reading (nonfiction emphasis)

2. Literacy in the Content Areas

3. Scaffolding Text Complexity

4. Text-based Evidence (close reading)

5. Writing from Sources

6. Academic Vocabulary

Common Core Anchor Standards K-12

CLOSE READING

• Read on your own• Briefly paraphrase each paragraph• Brainstorm questions students could answer

just from what’s in the text (not from prior knowledge)– Include literal, basic questions, as well as– Higher order, inferential questions

13

Close Reading Resources• Good Overveiw - http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/reading_lit.html

• How to do a Close Reading: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/s/a/sam50/closeread.htm

• What is a Close Reading - http://www.mantex.co.uk/2009/09/14/what-is-close-reading-guidance-notes/

• How to do a Close Reading - http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/CloseReading.html

• Close Reading – Poetry - http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/751/01/

• Close Reading Tips - http://mason.gmu.edu/~rmatz/close_reading.htm

• Steps in a Close Reading - http://ozpk.tripod.com/APclose

For More Information

• Http://moodle.ucboces.org– (Go to LITERACY – COMMON CORE TASKFORCE)– Resources, links, aligned units, training materials

• www.EngageNY.org– NY’s website for Common Core & RTTT material– Official documents, official videos, curriculum

models

15Source:

Appendix A - Research Supporting Key Elements of the Standards; Glossary of Key Terms

Appendix B - Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks

Appendix C - Examples of Student Writing

Appendices Overview

Focus on VOCABULARY

• Conversational Levels of Vocabulary limit readers to a reading level equivalent of Grade 4 or below.

• The Wall Street Journal is written at about an 11th grade level.

• The New York Times is written at about an 8th grade level.

• The Times Herald Record, Poughkeepsie Journal, Kingston Freeman is written at about a 4th grade level.

• http://www.wordsift.com/ Word maps, word clouds• http://quizlet.com/ Make flash cards & games• http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/vocab/ Academic vocabulary

games• http://www.vocabulary.com/ More games, including games

using Latin & Greek roots• www.worldwidewords.com

– Definitions, history and short essays on words • http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ Visual thesaurus• www.vocabgrabber.com• www.wordle.com, www.tagul.com, http://www.tagxedo.com/

- Analyze Words• http://www.spellingcity.com/ Spelling City

Online Vocabulary Resources

Harriet Tubman ProjectDuzine Elementary School

• http://www.newpaltz.k12.ny.us/156520111593332590/blank/browse.asp?A=383&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=58613

Common Core Recommendations:

1. Instruction in morphology (structure of words.) Lang. Std. 4

2. Focus on academic vocabulary (Key Shift 6)3. Instruction in structure of written language, syntax4. Indepth exploration of increasingly complex text on

focused topics (Key Shift 4)

28Source:

1. Word Part Knowledge Must Be Taught

• Morphology –or study of word roots & parts- begins in grade 3 in the CCSS

• Greek & Latin roots– Break up words into parts: Micro-organism– Identify root or familiar word-parts– Brainstorm similar-sounding words to support

connections & understandingMicroscope Microphone

Word Part Knowledge is a Key Strategy Because…

• Research shows it to be highly effective• Many specialized words are constructed of Latin &

Greek roots• Context clues are not enough for domain-specific

vocabulary• Rote memorization is limited• Writing definitions & sentences is largely ineffective

Discuss

• At the K-2 level – How do we focus on word part & root knowledge?

• What might we look at to explore further?

Videos

2. Focus on Academic Vocabulary

• Instructional words– Explain, analyze, compare, define, infer

• Cross-domain words– Form, relationship, structure, system

• Nuances of common words– Said, murmured, stated, declared, exclaimed

33Source:

Our brains store words in categories• Use activities that capitalize on this (std. 5)• Name that Dimension for Adjectives:– Tall vs. short

– Red vs. green

– Hot vs. cold

– Funny vs. sad

– Kind vs. cruel

• Make a list of adjectives in a single dimension–Activity

34Sorce:

Make Use of Analogy & Metaphor

• The president is the head of the company. president: company:: head : _______

• Education is the key to opportunity. education: opportunity :: key : _______

• Pride is the root of all evil. pride: evil :: root: ________• Necessity is the mother of invention. necessity: invention ::

mother: _______• Variety is the spice of life. variety: life :: spice: ________

35Source: Marilyn Jager-Adams

Semantic Investigations: Verbs• To sprint is to run very fast though usually not very far.• To gallop is to run fast like a horse.• To stare is to look with intensity.• To glare is to look with intensity and hostility.• To hit is to make contact forcibly.• To punch is to make contact forcibly with the fist.• To pummel is to make contact forcibly with the fist over and

over.• To scrub is to wash with a rubbing action• To scour is to wash with a rubbing action using an abrasive

36Source:

Pick a category & define the words:

• Walk: – Limp, shuffle, amble, strut, sashay, trudge

• Transfer: – Give, take, trade, buy, sell, rent

• Speak: – Tell, promise, confide, confess, preach, lecture

• Talk: – Whisper, mumble, lisp, stammer, wail, coo, babble

• Create:– Bake, sew, mold, weave, compose

37Source:

• Oral Language• So yesterday?• We were walking down Leonard Street?• And there was this woman there.• She was kind of old?• And she had on this red hat?• She was …just…• I don’t know, she was strange.• Anyway, she started running toward

John.• She was shouting.• She was just running and shouting• And nobody could understand her.

• Written LanguageWe were walking down Leonard Street

yesterday morning, when a strange, old woman in a red hat suddenly began running toward John, shouting incomprehensibly.

3. Focus on Structure of Language

Source: 38

Add a fact game:• Jane is wearing a dress.• Jane is wearing a blue dress.• Jane is wearing a blue dress with white flowers.• My friend Jane is wearing a blue dress with white

flowers.• My friend Jane is sitting, wearing a blue dress with

white flowers.• My friend Jane is sitting on the rug,

wearing a blue dress with white flowers…

Play Games for Complex Sentences

39

DiscussThink - Pair - Share

• How else do we/can we focus on language structure?

• Share your thoughts and ideas.

Moodle – HoytWriting Resources

• http://moodle.ucboces.org/mod/page/view.php?id=18459

4. Scaffolding Complex Text• 1. Select a topic. For below- level readers, begin

with shorter, simpler texts on their level.• 2. Teach the key words and concepts directly,

engaging students in using these in speech.• 3. Read MANY texts, over and over, on the topic.• 4. As the students learn the core vocabulary &

concepts of the domain, they will become ready to explore subtopics, reading more & more complex text.

42

6+1 Writing Traits Resources

• 6 Traits – http://so024.k12.sd.us/6%20+%201%20traits.htm

• Interactive Activities - http://writing.pppst.com/index.html

• 6 + 1 eThemes – http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1283

• The Literate Learner - http://www.literatelearner.com/6traits/page_template6t.php?f=main

• Teaching that Makes Sense - http://www.ttms.org/writing_quality/writing_quality.htm

• Gives examples of Books to Model Each Trait - http://writingfix.com/traits.htm

Professional Reading & Resources• Words, Words, Words by Janet Allen (4-12)• Word Savvy by Max Brand (3-6)• Bringing Words to Life, by Isabel Beck, Margaret

G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan (k-12)• Building Academic Vocabulary by Robert J.

Marzano & Debra Pickering• Learning Words Inside Out by Nancy Frey &

Douglas Fisher (1-6)• Teaching With Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen

(Birth to 24)

Curriculum Resources for Common Core

• SEEL - http://education.byu.edu/seel/

• Florida Reading Research Center - http://www.fcrr.org/

• Digital resources for the Common Core - http://commoncore.org/maps/resources/digital_resources

Continued

• Glossary of Curriculum Vocabulary - http://commoncore.org/maps/resources/glossary

• Sample Units and Lesson Plans - http://commoncore.org/maps/membership/samples

• NYC and the Common Core - http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/EarlyChildhood/EducatorResources/default.htm

• Parents Guide to Common Core - http://www.pta.org/4446.htm

• A Parent’s Guide to the Common Core - http://www.education.com/magazine/article/parents-guide-to-common-core-standards/

Thanks

kbrooks@ulsterboces.org