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Getting to the heart of the common core state standards: standards, text complexity, scaffolds, and tasks

By Nancy Boyles
As Nancy began her presentation, she reminded us that, "All we have are the standards." She continued with, "What are the promises? To get the students college ready, not ready for life. Not based on research (yet)."

I took notes as quickly as possible. I was thankful for her willingness to share her thinking about the CCSS.
These are the notes on guiding principles #1 and #2. Hopefully, I will write about #3 and #4 in the future.


We need to consider four guiding principles ...
1. Standards 
2. Text Complexity
3. Scaffolds
4. Tasks


*Standards - what we teach
*Text Complexity - what we teach with
*Focus on comprehension Scaffolds - how we teach
*The Task - how we measure what we teach

Comprehension Standards - What's new? NOT the same cake with different frosting.

The standards started at grade 12 (preparation for college) and worked backwards to kindergarten. Sometimes looks (reads) funky at kindergarten level. Each standard is better understood if read as a staircase standard. Every standard is applied at every grade level with rigor.


The keys to unlocking standards are to understand what we have, understand what we have to add, and to understand what we can teach better.  Building on our prior knowledge

Key ideas and details - what is author saying
Standard 1
Standard 2
Standard 3
Craft and Structure - How is the author saying it
Standard 4
Standard 5
Standard 6
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas - Why is the author saying it
Standard 7
Standard 8
Standard 9
Text Complexity and Range
Standard 10

NEW ADDITIONS to think about when thinking about the CCSS
1. More on character development (characters who change from beginning to end)
2. Summary includes theme
3. Paraphrasing
4. Vocabulary: tier2, tier3, figurative language (simile, personification, idioms), TONE (where did the character have a bad attitude,  a good attitude, change attitude)
5. Genre, text structure
6. Text to text connections
7. Broader definition of text (digital, live, video)
8.Illustrations part of message (picture shows mood of character)
9. Point of view / perspectives (values and belief systems)

NO LONGER TEACHING in CCSS:
text to self connections because it takes students away from the texts
Creative thinking

Concepts We Teach
Finding evidence
Story parts
Summarizing with theme
Theme
Main Idea
Vocabulary
Author's Craft
Text Structure
Point of View
Using nonprint texts
Critical reasoning
Text to text connections
Read complex texts

By the way, the standards work is being driven by two groups of people. 45/46 states joined PARCC or SBAC. It is helpful for the teacher/school/district to know if your CCSS is being driven the PARCC group or the SBAC group. However, both will give the teacher/school/district helpful information since the CCSS are the same for the 45/46 states.

Complex Text
Standard 10 is the hardest to pin down. It is like hugging jello.
Standard 10: Complex Texts - what we teach with. Do NOT believe the publishers that there is a set of complex texts required by the CCSS. Texts are mentioned, but that does not mean they are required.


A significant body of research links the CLOSE reading of COMPLEX text - whether the student is a struggling reader or advanced - to significant gains in reading proficiency and finds close reading to be a key component of college and career readiness.

Two essential components are range of text and difficulty of text.

What we teach: literature and informational text.

Literature:
Follow traditional problem-solution format. Short text. Honors diff cultural traditions.
Traditional literature: fairytales, folk tales, legends, fables, myths, stories (adventures, fantasy, realistic fiction)
Dramas: staged dialogue,  brief familiar scenes
Poetry: nursery rhymes, narrative poems,  limerick, free verse

Informational Text:
Literary nonfiction, biographies, autobiographies, essays, personal narratives, nonfiction stories (Bat loves the Night by Nicola Davies), digital sources, textbooks, directions, forms, maps, graphs, charts, historical significant pieces, technical texts,scientific texts, speeches, addresses, etc.

For helpful links for informational text, see: 


www.pagebypage.com


textproject.org


http://textproject.org/teachers/webinars/the-role-of-text-in-developing-reading-fluency-and-comprehension-updated-version/


7 Actions to take NOW!
http://textproject.org/teachers/7-actions-that-teachers-can-take-right-now-text-complexity/

Look at appendex b exemplars non-exemplars which are based on lexile system.  Lexile system is on internet. Lexiles - use caution - tend to over estimate the difficulty of narrative and overestimate expository text. Every time a word is mentioned, it is counted as a hard word. Does not take into consideration text features or background knowledge.
There are many factors to consider when thinking about complex text.
*readability
*few connections
*high knowledge demand
*simple structure
*no prior knowledge
* misconceptions
*no helpful text features

Accelerating Student Reading
1. Build stamina. When considering the recommendations for increased lexile levels, students need to read for longer amounts of time. Probably assessments will be longer (4th grade will move from 2 pages to 4 pages).
2.Build automaticity with the goal of increasing comprehension based silent reading
3.Build vocabulary - by providing text complexity 20% of the time with scaffolding, vocabulary will increase.
WE DO with grade level complex text
We need more disciplinary texts, more traditional literature, more structures to engage with age/grade appropriate material for exposure to structure, content, vocabulary at least 20% of the time with SERIOUS SCAFFOLDING.
WE DO with instructional level text / materials. (Allow students guided practice with ccss and building reading stamina.)
YOU DO with independent level text / materials that allow students to practice (productive independent reading).

Peter Johnston

Reduction of Teachers having Power over Students

Students turn take without you
Say: maybe, perhaps, I wonder
Avoid/Omit: yes, good, well, right, do not judge ideas
Ask students to report what their partner had to say
Students talk to each other
Teacher sits with class, at same level
Do not repeat students ideas, they communicate directly to each other
Wait time

Opening Minds by Peter Johnston

The common core state standards are complex.  The last few days have been exciting and I look forward to moving into more curriculum writing.

Scaffolding is encouraged in the standards. Turning and talking,  explaining how a character changes throughout a text, and also including a theme.

Peter provides sentence frames to support this discussion.

I think [ POSITION ], because [REASON ]

In the story, it says [EVIDENCE ].

If [ACTION ], then [BAD CONSEQUENCE].

What if [SCENARIO]?

But [COUNTERARGUMENT].

Let [classmate ] talk!

Put [classmate ] in [scenario].

What do you think, [classmate]?

Linda Gambrell: Who decides the book for your read aloud?

Today past IRA president spoke regarding the topic that motivation is key to engaging students in text. One idea is to allow students to decide what book will be read aloud. The teacher selects 8-10 books, places them in a basket, allows students to negotiate and advocate for their choice, and finally reads the chosen one a few days later. The remaining books are allowed to be read by the students.

Words Their Way Sorting

Pearson has the word study in action kits now. They look great and will save teachers lots of busy work. The teacher introduces the lesson by reading a poem/rhyme/short text to gather the sort words. The teacher states the sort rule. Step one is introduce / model.

Step two: practice the sort. Teacher demonstrates sort using the white board DVD sorts.  Visit Pearsonschool.com/wtw

Teacher says word.
Students repeat word.
Teacher demonstrates sorting with a few words (pictures).
Students each have a word card, decide where card goes, turn and talk to neighbor, place card in pocket chart, explain why

Students sort their cards. Students check work. Students explain their sorts.

Individual sorts, partner sorts, speed sorts, pocket charts sorts, working together sorts, blind sorts, open sorts, closed sorts, etc.

Step 3: Apply
Write sort words
Play games
Read little book. Find word sort words.

Step 4:
Alternative sort
Another game to reinforce sort

I really like sorts, it will be interesting to see these materials add to our understanding of sorting. This kit allows for multiple exposures to the words.

Ralph Fletcher

Voice is personality on paper.  "Here's the secret of writing: there is no secret. But there is a process."

IRA: Writing by Sarah Cordova

Selecting topic choice. The make it or break moment!  The three key questions. 1. Do I care deeply about this topic? (Yes, Sort of, No) 2. Do I have more to say about this topic? (Yes, I have a lots more to add. I have a little more to say. No, I have said everything already.) 3. Will this topic be really powerful and interesting to a reader? (I think readers will find this very interesting! Readers might find this very interesting.  I think readers would not be interested in this topic. 

Shared Reading: Kindergarten Word Family Lesson

Morning Message Teaching Points

-spaces between words
-This is a letter. This is a word. This is a sentence. Counting words in sentence.
-Concepts of Print (Reading left to right, top to bottom, eventually return sweep)
-sentences begin with uppercase letter
-sentences end with a punctuation mark
-a sentence is a complete thought
-how many sentences are in morning message? Reading from left to right and top to bottom. Understanding the concept of "ing"
-letters vs numbers and number words
-the concept if capital I
-listening for same sound (alliterations in core common standards)
-locating beginning and ending of sentence by capital letter and ending punctuation.
-find two words same sound (rhyme)
-names start capital letter
-writing can entertain
-writing can give information
-introduce to exclamation mark
-writing is a way to communicate without talking (letter writing)
-thank you notes
-include high frequency words (popcorn words)
-beginning sounds
-and many more ideas