Best Practices in ELA Common Core State Standards Anne Timbs

achievethecore.org Agenda 1. Introduction to the 3 Shifts in CCSS 2. Shift 1 - Complexity 1. Complex Texts and Vocabulary 2. Close Reading 3. Shift 2 - Evidence 1. Accountable Talk 2. Text Dependent Questions 4. Shift 3 - Knowledge 5. Resources 2

achievethecore.org The CCSS Requires Three Shifts in ELA/Literacy 1. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language 2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational 3. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction 3

4 achievethecore.org Shift #1: Regular practice with complex text and its academic language 4

achievethecore.org Regular Practice With Complex Text and its Academic Language: Why? Gap between complexity of college and high school texts is huge. What students can read, in terms of complexity is the greatest predictor of success in college (ACT study). Too many students are reading at too low a level. (<50% of graduates can read sufficiently complex texts). Standards include a staircase of increasing text complexity from elementary through high school. Standards also focus on building general academic vocabulary so critical to comprehension. 5

achievethecore.org How do you define complex text? 6

achievethecore.org What are the Features of Complex Text? Subtle and/or frequent transitions Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes Density of information Unfamiliar settings, topics or events Lack of repetition, overlap or similarity in words and sentences Complex sentences Uncommon vocabulary Lack of words, sentences or paragraphs that review or pull things together for the student Longer paragraphs Any text structure which is less narrative and/or mixes structures 7

achievethecore.org Scaffolding Complex Text The standards require that students read appropriately complex text at each grade level – independently (Standard 10). However there are many ways to scaffold student learning as they meet the standard: Multiple readings Read Aloud Chunking text (a little at a time) Provide support while reading, rather than before. 8

achievethecore.org Lexile Free registration Search book titles Type and submit text 9 Grade BandLexile Band K-1N/A L-820L L-1010L L-1185L L-1335L 11-CCR1185L-1385L

achievethecore.org Vocabulary Tier 1 Words of everyday speech Usually learned in the early grades Tier 2 General academic words More likely to appear in written text than speech Tier 3 Domain-specific words More common in informational text than literary text 10

achievethecore.org Close Analytic Reading Requires prompting students with questions to unpack unique complexity of any text so students learn to read complex text independently and proficiently. Not teacher "think aloud“. Virtually every standard is activated during the course of every close analytic reading exemplar through the use of text dependent questions. Text dependent questions require text-based answers – evidence. 11

achievethecore.org Close Reading Activity 1. Write down a description of the rock at your table. 2. Look at the rock through the magnifying glass and add to your description. 3. What was different about your two descriptions? 12

achievethecore.org Close Reading Practice Activity 2: First Read: Read the article together as a class Using one color marker underline the unknown words Second Read: Read the article again Using a different color, circle the main idea of each paragraph or section. With a third color, draw a rectangle around the supporting details of each main idea. 13

achievethecore.org Close Reading Lesson Video Take notes during the video. We will discuss the questioning strategies, evidence gathering, and class discussion after the video. 14

15 achievethecore.org Shift #2: Reading, Writing, and Speaking Grounded in Evidence From Text, Both Literary and Informational 15

achievethecore.org Reading, Writing and Speaking Grounded in Evidence from Text: Why? Most college and workplace writing requires evidence. Ability to cite evidence differentiates strong from weak student performance on NAEP Evidence is a major emphasis of the ELA Standards: Reading Standard 1, Writing Standard 9, Speaking and Listening standards 2, 3, and 4, all focus on the gathering, evaluating and presenting of evidence from text. Being able to locate and deploy evidence are hallmarks of strong readers and writers 16

achievethecore.org Time – In and Out of the Text More instructional time spent outside the text means less time inside the text. Departing from the text in classroom discussion privileges only those who already have experience with the topic. It is easier to talk about our experiences than to analyze the text—especially for students reluctant to engage with reading. The CCSS are College and Career Readiness Standards. 17

achievethecore.org Accountable Talk Accountability to: The Learning Community Careful listening to each other Using and building on each other’s ideas Paraphrasing and seeking clarification Respectful disagreement Using sentence stems 18

achievethecore.org Accountable Talk Accountability to: Accurate Knowledge Being as specific and accurate as possible Resisting the urge to say just “anything that comes to mind” Getting the facts straight Challenging questions that demand 19

achievethecore.org Accountable Talk Accountability to: Rigorous Thinking Building arguments Linking claims and evidence in logical ways Working to make statements clear Checking the quality of claims and arguments 20

achievethecore.org Accountable Talk “To become college and career ready, students must have ample opportunities to take part in a variety of rich, structured conversations – as part of a whole class, in small groups, and with a partner – built around important content in various domains. They must be able to contribute appropriately to these conversations, to make comparisons and contrasts, and to analyze and synthesize a multitude of ideas in accordance with the standards of evidence appropriate to a particular discipline. Whatever their intended major or profession, high school graduates will depend heavily on their ability to listen attentively to others so that they are able to build on others’ meritorious ideas while expressing their own clearly and persuasively.” p. 48 of the CCSS for ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. 21

achievethecore.org Accountable Talk a-group a-group Take notes on this video and we will discuss the differences in the two videos we’ve seen. 22

achievethecore.org Text-Dependent Questions... Can only be answered with evidence from the text. Can be literal (checking for understanding) but must also involve analysis, synthesis, evaluation. Focus on word, sentence, and paragraph, as well as larger ideas, themes, or events. Focus on difficult portions of text in order to enhance reading proficiency. Can also include prompts for writing and discussion questions. 23

achievethecore.org Text-Dependent Questions are not…  Low-level, literal, or recall questions  Focused on comprehension strategies  Just questions… 24

achievethecore.org Three Types of Text-Dependent Questions When you're writing or reviewing a set of questions, consider the following three categories: Questions that assess themes and central ideas Questions that assess knowledge of vocabulary Questions that assess syntax and structure 25

achievethecore.org Non-Examples and Examples 26 In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something. In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair. In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote? What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous? What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received? “The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech? Not Text-DependentText-Dependent

achievethecore.org From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Have the students identify the different methods of removing warts that Tom and Huckleberry talk about. Discuss the charms that they say and the items (i.e. dead cats) they use. Ask students to devise their own charm to remove warts. Students could develop a method that would fit in the time of Tom Sawyer and a method that would incorporate items and words from current time. Boys played with dead cats and frogs, during Tom’s time. Are there cultural ideas or artifacts from the current time that could be used in the charm? Sample Literary Question: Pre-Common Core Standards 27

achievethecore.org Sample Text Dependent Question: Common Core Standards From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Why does Tom hesitate to allow Ben to paint the fence? How does Twain construct his sentences to reflect that hesitation? What effect do Tom’s hesitations have on Ben? 28

achievethecore.org Creating Text-Dependent Questions 29 Step One:Identify the core understandings and key ideas of the text. Step Two:Start small to build confidence. Step Three:Target vocabulary and text structure. Step Four:Tackle tough sections head-on. Step Five:Create coherent sequences of text-dependent questions. Step Six:Identify the standards that are being addressed. Step Seven:Create the culminating assessment.

achievethecore.org Vocabulary and Text Dependent Questions From “Hot and Cold Summer” - 5 th grade fictional text “To avoid someone means to keep away from them so that you don’t have to see them and they don’t have to see you. How did the boys avoid meeting Bolivia at first?” (pg. 23) Re-read the last two paragraphs on page 39. Rory had a “strong suspicion”. What is a suspicion? What details in the story made Rory suspicious of Bolivia? 30

achievethecore.org Structure and Text-Dependent Questions Text-dependent questions can be crafted to point students’ attention to features of text that enhance understanding (such as how section headers and captions lead to greater clarity or provide hints regarding what is most important in informational text, or how illustrations add to a narrative). 31

achievethecore.org Structure and Text Dependent Questions Examples: “Look at the illustrations on page 31. Why did the illustrator include details like the power outlets in the walls?” “Dillard is careful to place opposing descriptions of the natural and man-made side-by-side. How does this juxtaposition fit with or challenge what we have already read? Why might she have chosen this point in the text for these descriptions?” 32

achievethecore.org Reading Strategies and Text-Dependent Questions Text-dependent questions generally call on students to employ reading strategies. Strategies are no longer taught in isolation. The text and readers’ need to comprehend it should determine what strategies are activated - not the other way around. 33

achievethecore.org Writing Text Dependent Questions Write one or two text dependent questions for the article we read for the Close Reading. Share the questions with a partner Then we will share the questions as a whole group. 34

achievethecore.org Culminating Tasks Should relate to core understanding and key ideas. A coherent sequence of text dependent questions will scaffold students toward successfully completing the culminating task. Example: “The title of this selection is ‘Because of Winn-Dixie.' Using your answers from the questions above and class discussion, explain why this is an appropriate title for the selection. Be sure to clearly cite evidence from the text for each part of your answer.” “Officer Buckle’s final safety tip is 'ALWAYS STICK WITH YOUR BUDDY.' How did he and Gloria each learn this lesson for themselves throughout the story?” 35

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achievethecore.org Shift #3: Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction 37

achievethecore.org Content Shift #3 Content-Rich Nonfiction 50/50 balance K-5 60/40 balance /30 in grades 9-12 Students learning to read should exercise their ability to comprehend complex text through read-aloud texts. In grades 2+, students begin reading more complex texts, consolidating the foundational skills with reading comprehension. Reading aloud texts that are well-above grade level should be done throughout K-5 and beyond. 38

achievethecore.org Building Knowledge Through Content-Rich Nonfiction: Why? Students are required to read very little informational text in elementary and middle school. Non-fiction makes up the vast majority of required reading in college/workplace. Informational text is harder for students to comprehend than narrative text. Supports students learning how to read different types of informational text. 39

achievethecore.org Content Shift #3 Sequencing Texts to Build Knowledge Not random reading Literacy in social studies/history, science, technical subjects, and the arts is embedded 40

achievethecore.org Content Shift #3 Finding those complex texts Library Text books Readworks.org Storyworks or other periodicals TN History for Kids publications 41

achievethecore.org Sharing What You’ve Done 42

achievethecore.org Internet Resources

achievethecore.org Print Resources TN History for Kids publications Text-Marking Lessons for Active Nonfiction Reading (Scholastic) Comprehension Skills: 40 Short Passages for Close Reading (Scholastic) StoryWorks Common Core Reader (Scholastic) The Core Six by Silver, Dewing, Perini Vertical Progression Guide for the Common Core (Battelle for Kids) Common Core Curriculum Maps in English Language Arts (Jossey- Bass Publishers) 44

achievethecore.org Recommended Reading The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child by Donalyn Miller 45

achievethecore.org Conclusion Thank you for coming. If I can be of any help in the future please contact me: 46