With the advent of the Common Core State Standards and high expectations with regard to content literacy, some secondary teachers are scrambling for what to do and how to do it. This book provides an accessible plan for implementing content literacy and offers 20 research-based literacy strategies designed to help students meet those standards and become expert readers.
The Common Core Standards have recently been adopted in most states across the nation and teachers are in the process of getting to the core of these standards. Teaching to standards is not a new concept; teachers have adapted to new standards every few years for quite some time. And teachers are adaptable, as can be seen in this book. We are writing this book to demonstrate how teachers use research-based strategies to meet Common Core Standards while still focusing on students. Our goal is to help teachers visualize students in action as other teachers describe the implementation of research-based strategies in their own classrooms, show student work samples, and provide reflections of student success in achieving the standards. Many Common Core Standards books focus on the standards, but our approach focuses on strategies that engage the students in the classroom--showing how different teachers at varying grade levels have used the strategies to meet the standards. With this focus, we believe that teachers gain a new and positive perspective on approaching the new standards and see the flexibility of strategies for meeting standards across subject areas. We have examined research on the strategies with the purpose of giving teachers a brief description of why these strategies work before giving actual examples from classrooms. We also work closely with teachers in the public schools and have our finger on the pulse of what is happening in the public schools—one of the current stressors being unpacking the Common Core Standards This book actually focuses on practice. We begin by laying out a rationale in our first chapter---The Core Value(s) of Education. Then, each chapter focuses on a strategy, including 1) a brief description about the research supporting each strategy and 2) several examples from different grade levels, which include a description of how the strategy was used, student work samples, and a reflection on the use of the strategy. The research descriptions are fairly short because, while we believe professional educators (aka teachers, in this case) should know the research that supports practice, we know they are not typically interested in long diatribes about the research.
The strategies you need to teach common standards to diverse learners Realistic and thorough, this teacher-friendly book shows how to help every student, including English Learners, students with disabilities, speakers of nonstandard English, and other struggling learners, meet the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts (ELA). This resource: Familiarizes readers with each of the Common Core's 32 anchor standards for ELA Outlines the specific skills students need to fulfill each standard Presents a wealth of flexible teaching strategies and tools that build those skills Includes guidance on professional collaboration and co-teaching
Zoom in on the academic skills students are required to learn in reading, writing, speaking/listening, and language! This book cuts through all of the Common Core jargon and gets right to the heart of what students need to learn now. Big Skills for the Common Core is packed with engaging strategies you can use immediately to improve your students' literacy skills and help them retain those skills. Special features include... Charts that break down the skills for each anchor standard and put them into teacher- friendly language. BONUS! The charts highlight the big shifts for teachers for discussion and sharing. Practical strategies to help students tackle and understand complex texts. Helpful ideas for teaching argument writing, plus writing rubrics and assessment strategies. Clear information on Tier II and Tier III words and how to teach them. In addition, each section of the book ends with "Classroom Close-Ups," which take you inside real classrooms that are implementing the Common Core. You'll see the standards in action across the curriculum and get takeaway tips you can use tomorrow in your own classroom!
New hope for our students who struggle most Under the best of circumstances meeting the Common Core can be a challenge. But if you’re a teacher of academically and linguistically diverse students—and who isn’t these days—then that “challenge” may sometimes feel more like a “fantasy.” Finally, here are two expert educators who are brave enough, knowledgeable enough, and grounded enough to tackle this issue. Armed with this resource’s advice, tools, and strategies, you’ll Better understand the 32 ELA anchor standards Learn more about the specific skills “uncommon learners” need to master them Discover new research-based teaching strategies aligned to each standard
Tools and Insights for Meeting and Exceeding the Common Core Standards Literacy and the Common Core offers K–12 teachers clear guidance on how to design units, lessons, and objectives to meet the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts; it’s filled with practical strategies that teachers can use immediately to target key standards; and it describes how to analyze the standards to support instructional planning and curriculum development. This book aims to make life a little easier for everyone—teachers, school leaders, parents, and students—as we all strive to prepare students for college and the careers they most desire. The book includes practical tools, templates, and rubrics ready to be downloaded and customized to meet your needs. Additional resources may be found on the companion site, www.literacycookbook.com. Here are just a few of the essential topics addressed: Which standards to start with and how to tackle them How to bridge the gap when students are not on grade level How to engage and support parents How to teach students to write effectively How to translate the standards for actual use Take the recipes in this book, make them your own, and enjoy your new “Common Core Master Chef” status!
Using a rich array of research-based practices, this book will help teachers improve the academic writing of English learners. It provides specific teaching strategies, activities, and extended lessons to develop EL students’ narrative, informational, and argumentative writing, emphasized in the Common Core State Standards. It also explores the challenges each of these genres pose for ELs and suggests ways to scaffold instruction to help students become confident and competent academic writers. Showcasing the work of exemplary school teachers who have devoted time and expertise to creating rich learning environments for the secondary classroom, Helping English Learners to Write includes artifacts and written work produced by students with varying levels of language proficiency as models of what students can accomplish. Each chapter begins with a brief overview and ends with a short summary of the key points. “These authors are at the very forefront of scientifically testing and validating instructional practices for improving the writing and reading of adolescents who are English learners. Why is their research so good? It is informed by years of experience in the classroom and working with hundreds of teachers across California. What a powerful combination. My advice: ingest, consider, and employ the strategies described here. Your students will become better writers if you do.” —From the Foreword by Steve Graham, Warner Professor of Educational Leadership & Innovation, Arizona State University “This book is a tour de force. It’s up-to-the-minute in offering what teachers and administrators need, and what parents want. With examples of classrooms in action, it incorporates what research tells us about effective teaching and learning, and what the Common Core Standards and related policy are demanding, into successful and engaging activities that the authors' extensive research shows works. Helping English Learners to Write is a must-read. You will dog ear many pages for future use.” —Judith A. Langer, Vincent O’Leary Distinguished Research Professor, Director, Center on English Learning & Achievement, University at Albany
The Daily 5, Second Edition retains the core literacy components that made the first edition one of the most widely read books in education and enhances these practices based on years of further experience in classrooms and compelling new brain research. The Daily 5 provides a way for any teacher to structure literacy (and now math) time to increase student independence and allow for individualized attention in small groups and one-on-one. Teachers and schools implementing the Daily 5 will do the following: Spend less time on classroom management and more time teaching Help students develop independence, stamina, and accountability Provide students with abundant time for practicing reading, writing, and math Increase the time teachers spend with students one-on-one and in small groups Improve schoolwide achievement and success in literacy and math. The Daily 5, Second Edition gives teachers everything they need to launch and sustain the Daily 5, including materials and setup, model behaviors, detailed lesson plans, specific tips for implementing each component, and solutions to common challenges. By following this simple and proven structure, teachers can move from a harried classroom toward one that hums with productive and engaged learners. What's new in the second edition: Detailed launch plans for the first three weeks Full color photos, figures, and charts Increased flexibility regarding when and how to introduce each Daily 5 choice New chapter on differentiating instruction by age and stamina Ideas about how to integrate the Daily 5 with the CAFE assessment system New chapter on the Math Daily 3 structure
This one-of-a-kind resource will be invaluable to every teacher educator, every curriculum director, and every literacy coach, whether or not they must meet Common Core Standards. Bringing together perspectives from literacy luminaries, each addressing their specialty, this book offers an accessible fund of rich practices in literacy instruction. The book serves two purposes: First, it assembles a body of knowledge and wisdom from leading literacy researchers who each draw from a long career in the field to address topics of central importance to good literacy instruction. Second, these research-to-practice leaders connect established best practices and foundational research to the current challenge of instruction to meet Common Core Standards and other rigorous curriculum guidelines. The contributors point out strengths of the Common Core as well as issues and oversights that educators should be aware of. Closing chapters situate the Common Core within a continuum of educational policy and legislation. Contributors: Richard L. Allington, Monica T. Billen, Jay S. Blanchard, Robert Calfee, Gina N. Cervetti, Michael F. Graves, John T. Guthrie, Elfrieda H. Hiebert, James V. Hoffman, Rosalind Horowitz, Michael L. Kamil, Barbara Kapinus, Richard Long, Leigh Ann Martin, Kimberly McCuiston, James Nageldinger, David Paige, P. David Pearson, Timothy Rasinski, S. Jay Samuels, Barbara Taylor, Joanna P. Williams, Kathleen Wilson “Pearson and Hiebert have long advocated for children in schools, and this volume is no exception. They and their chapter authors situate the CCSS within the historical and policy context in which it was written and support the literacy education community as we wrestle with the implications the standards have for research, for teachers, for teaching, and for learning.” —Sharon Walpole, University of Delaware “This book gets way beyond generalities and polemics about the Common Core, taking a deep and measured dive into a wide range of essential topics within the standards. I read a lot, and I can't think of the last time I read anything about the CCSS as engaging and thought provoking as this.” —Nell K. Duke, University of Michigan
The quality of instruction is the most important factor in helping students meet the Common Core Standards. That's why Owocki's "Common Core Lesson Book" empowers teachers with a comprehensive framework for implementation that enhances existing curriculum and extends it to meet Common Core goals.
