Connecting “Caldecotts” with the Common Core March 27, 2014March 27, 2014 Dr. Lee-Anne Spalding & Dr. Elizabeth HoffmanDr. Lee-Anne Spalding & Dr. Elizabeth Hoffman

Common Core State Standards State-led, bi-partisan effort 45 states adopted Florida has adopted these standards; full implementation by “Three-Minute Video Explaining the Common Core State Standards” by CGCS

“The Common Core is not a curriculum. It is a set of standards around which curriculum can be built.” Roskos, K., & Nueman, S. (2013). Common core, commonplaces, and community in teaching reading. The Reading Teacher, 66(6),

How complex are the texts suggested by the English language arts standards? The Common Core State Standards create a staircase of increasing text complexity, so that students are expected to both develop their skills and apply them to more and more complex texts. For more information on suggested texts, please see Appendix A, the Supplement to Appendix A, and Appendix B. Source:

Read-Alouds & the CCSS “[C]hildren in the early grades – particularly kindergarten through grade 3 – benefit from participating in rich, structured conversations with an adult in response to written texts that are read aloud, orally comparing and contrasting as well as analyzing and synthesizing…. By reading a story, or nonfiction selection aloud, teachers allow children to experience written language without the burden of decoding, granting them access to content they may not be able to read by themselves.” (Appendix A, p. 27) National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC: Authors.

What types of texts are recommended for the English language arts standards? The standards require that students systematically acquire knowledge in literature and other disciplines through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. English teachers will still teach their students the literature and literary nonfiction texts that they choose. However, because college and career readiness overwhelmingly focuses on complex texts outside of literature, these standards also ensure students are being prepared to read, write, and research across the curriculum, including in history and science. Source:

Randolph Caldecott Medal The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. Source:

What’s the “CONNECTION”? Common Core Standards call for using complex text; including close reading of a variety of genres and the overall increase of reading stamina in our students to help create college and career ready individuals. The Caldecott Medal awards high quality children’s literature picture book illustrators the honor for amazing illustrations that aid the readers’ understanding of the text. Many of these text are considered complex text that can be used by classroom teachers to become proficient readers!

CCSS Design and Organization K−12 standards Grade-specific end-of-year expectations Developmentally appropriate, cumulative progression of skills and understandings One-to-one correspondence with CCR standards

Anchor Standards for Reading Clusters Key Ideas and Details 1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. 2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. 3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Craft and Structure 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. 5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Anchor Standards for Reading Clusters cont. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.1 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. (Not evident in Literature) 9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity 10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

How do the CCSS determine text complexity? Three Factors of Text Complexity Click below for a 19 minute Teaching Channel video on Simplifying Text Complexity: Simplifying Text Complexity

Three Factors of Text Complexity cont.

What makes a text complex? Look at the books at your table. Pick a component to the right. Discuss with a partner. How complex is your text?

Six Types of Text-Dependent Questions 1. General Understanding: focus on entire text (main idea, arc of story, sequence of information, etc.) 2. Key Details: focus on key supporting details (who, what, when, where, why, and how) as well as nuanced details that add clarity 3. Vocabulary and Text Structure: focus on vocabulary (connotation and denotation) and structure 4. Purpose: includes not only author’s purpose but bias as well 5. Inference: requires students to understand how parts build to the whole 6. Opinions, Arguments, and Intertextual Connections: students argue a perspective utilizing evidence from the assigned text, other texts, experiences, and beliefs.

Generating Text Dependent Questions Category Notes and comments on text features in each category What questions could you ask students for instruction? Structure: (both story structure or form of piece) Language Clarity and Conventions (including vocabulary load) Knowledge Demands (life, content, cultural/literary) Levels of Meaning/ Purpose Overall placement: __ simple __moderate _ _complex When reflecting on this text, which category trumps the others? Which standards can be addressed with this text? What hook question or launch activity could be used to provide linkage to prior learning? What culminating question or task can be used to follow-up?

Teachers must have access to and be VERY familiar with a wide variety of texts. Basal readers and textbooks will no longer suffice for instruction! Let’s take a look at some high quality text! Source: