The Common Core State Standards and English Language Learners March 6, 2012

Agenda: Text complexity Exploring exemplary CCSS texts How do ELLs access exemplary texts? Focused Instruction

Text Complexity

Qualitative Difference between a classic and just a good read Levels of meaning (literature) - single level to multiple levels Levels of purpose (informational text) – explicit to implicit Text structure – simple to complex Knowledge demands – single, simple theme to multiple, complex themes Language conventionality – literal to figurative

Quantitative Usually measured by a computer program for longer texts Difficulty of a text Word length or frequency Sentence length

Reader and Task Variables specific to particular readers - motivation, knowledge, and experiences Particular tasks - purpose and the complexity of the task assigned Best made by teachers employing their professional judgment, experience, and knowledge of their students and the subject.

CCSS Text Complexity Grade BandsOld Lexile RangeCCSS Lexile Range – –

Leveling Resources

Let’s explore some texts

K-1 Stories

K-1 Poetry By Myself by Eloise Greenfield When I'm by myself, And I close my eyes, I'm a twin. I'm a dimple in a chin. I'm a room full of toys. I'm a squeaky noise. I'm a gospel song. I'm a gong. I'm a leaf turning red. I'm a loaf of brown bread. I'm whatever I want to be. And anything I care to be. And when I open my eyes, All I care to be Is me.

K-1 Read Alouds

K-1 Read Aloud Poetry April Rain Song by Langston Hughes Let the rain kiss you Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops Let the rain sing you a lullaby The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk The rain makes running pools in the gutter The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night And I love the rain.

K-1 Informational Text

K-1 Informational Text Read Alouds

Strategies for ELLs to access more rigorous material

Provide access to grade level content Build on students first language skills and knowledge Build on effective practices used with native English speakers Make adjustments Have ELL students interact with other students

How do ELLs access exemplary texts?

Teacher reads aloud text Shared, repeated readings Student reads text independently Student oral retell of text with a partner Teacher guided discussion Student written summary with partner work with sentence frames/cloze passage/word bank when appropriate Orally present summary

Focused Instruction

Warm-Up Purpose: To set the stage for the teaching that will be shared in the lesson. Connect previous teaching, capture students’ attention and interest, and activate prior knowledge. Methods: Refer to yesterday’s lesson; refer to an anchor chart; share an example/excerpt from your own reading/writing experience; share an analogy that connects to the upcoming teaching point; share an example/excerpt from a student’s reading/writing experience. Possible Language: Varies according to angle/content of the warm-up, which may include a connection to a previous lesson, a related anecdote, a brief read-aloud, and/or other devices to set the stage “Yesterday we learned…”, “For the past week we have been studying…”, “In this unit we are exploring…”

Teach Purpose: To state your explicit teaching point. DEMONSTRATE using your work, examples, students’ work and anecdotes, and published work. Methods: Be very explicit - read/write in front of your students, modeling your process and naming it; read aloud a portion of text that supports your teaching point or display it in some way as a shared reading; role-play with a student to demonstrate a successful strategy Possible Language: First to signal the teaching point…“ Today I am going to teach you how readers/writers…” Next to demonstrate the teaching point…“Watch me as I…” or “Look how this reader/writer…”

Try Purpose: To practice the skills/strategy with guidance; to assess students’ understanding of the teaching point; to engage students Methods: Try this strategy/convention/genre element/process in your own reading/writing; turn and talk with a partner to restate what you have just learned; talk through your thinking; practice a strategy, convention, process with a partner; try the teaching as a shared writing experience, create a shared text to be used the next day. Possible Language: “Now, it’s your turn to…”, “Think about what I have just said, and practice this strategy with a partner beside you: think, turn and talk”, “Take a few minutes to try this in your own writing while we are here together.”

Clarify Purpose: To connect your teaching point to ongoing independent practice Method: Restate your teaching point. Have students restate the teaching point. Possible Language: To connect to lives as readers/writers—“So whenever you are reading/writing…” and/or To connect to day’s independent practice—“Today in the workshop, you will…”, “When you are reading/writing today, I want you to…”, “Today we learned … and we are going to … in our own reading/writing”, When you return to your Independent Practice today, I will be looking for…”

Reflection Think about lesson planning and reflect upon each component of focused instruction. Is it a challenge or a strength for you? Why? Warm Up Teach Try Clarify

COPYRIGHT NOTICE The material in this PowerPoint presentation is the property of LitLife, Inc. (“LitLife”). The contents of this PowerPoint presentation may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission in writing from LitLife. Requests for permission to reproduce content should be directed to LitLife invests an enormous amount of time and money into developing its ideas. Those ideas are incorporated into this PowerPoint. Please respect our copyright. © LITLIFE, INC P.O. Box 450, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY (914)