A Guide of Common Core Shifts for Students and Parents

Shifts in the CCGPS

6 Shifts in ELA/Literacy• Read as much non fiction as

fiction• Learn about the world by

reading• Read more challenging

material closely• Discuss reading using evidence• Write non-fiction using

evidence• Increase academic vocabulary

6 Shifts in Mathematics• Focus: learn more about

fewer, key topics• Build skills within and across

grades• Develop speed and accuracy• Really know it. Really do it.• Use it in the real world• Think fast AND solve problems

ELA/Literacy Shift 1:Read as much non-fiction as fiction

Student must…• Read more non-fiction• Enjoy and discuss the

details of non-fiction

Parents can…• Supply more non-fiction

texts• Read non-fiction texts

aloud or with your child• Enjoy non-fiction text in

front of your child

ELA/Literacy Shift 2:Learn about the world by reading

Students must…• Learn more Science and

Social Studies through reading

• Use “primary source” documents

• Learn more by using texts

Parents can…• Discuss non-fiction texts

and the ideas within the text

ELA/Literacy Shift 3:Read more complex material carefully

• Re-read• Read material at comfort

level AND work with more challenging text

• Break down text to understand

• Handle frustration with text and keep reading

• Provide more challenging texts AND provide text they WANT to read and can read comfortably

• Read challenging text with them

• Show that challenging text is worth reading and discussing

Students must… Parents can…

Support their Reading.Read Challenging Texts Aloud.Grades Examples of Non-fiction Examples of Fiction

K-1 A Tree is a PlantFire, Fire! (Read aloud)

Are You My Mother?The Owl and the Pussycat (Read aloud)

2-3 Martin Luther King and the March on WashingtonWhat the World Eats! (Read aloud)

Fire CatCharlotte’s Web (Read aloud)

4-5 Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest StormsThe Kids Guide to Money

Bud not BuddyThe Secret Garden

6-8 Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassA Night to Remember

Little WomenThe People Could Fly

9-10 Hope, Despair, MemoryLetter from Birmingham Jail

Things Fall ApartIn the Time of Butterflies

11-12 Take the Tortillas Out of Your PoetryMother Tongue

The Canterbury TalesCrime and Punishment

ELA/Literacy Shift 4:Discuss reading using evidence

• Find evidence to support their arguments

• Form judgments• Discuss what the author is

trying to do with the text

• Talk about text• Ask for evidence in every

day discussions/ disagreements

• Read aloud or read the same book and discuss with evidence to support conversation

Students must… Parents can…

ELA/Literacy Shift 5:Writing from Sources

Students must…• Make arguments in writing

using evidence• Compare multiple texts in

writing• Practice writing well

Parents can…• Encourage writing at home• Write “books” together and

use evidence/details

ELA/Literacy Shift 6:Academic Vocabulary

Students must…• Learn the words that they

can use in college and career

• Read more to develop a larger vocabulary

Parents can…• Read often and constantly

with children• Read multiple books about

the same topic• Let your children see you

reading

Mathematics Shift 1:Focus: Learn more about less

Student must…• Spend more time on

fewer concepts

Parents can…• Know what the priority

work is for your child at their grade level

• Spend time with your child on priority work

• Ask your child’s teachers about their progress on priority work

Mathematics Shift 2:Skills Across Grades

Students must…• Keep building on

learning year after year

Parents can…• Be aware of what your

child struggles with last year and how that will affect learning this year

• Advocate for your child

The National Mathematics Advisory Panel Final Report (2008)

Success with Adding/Subtracting/ Multiplying/Dividing

Positive and Negative Numbers

Success with Fractions

Success in Algebra

Success in College

Mathematics Shift 3:Speed and Accuracy

Students must…• Spend time practicing

lots of problems on the same concept

Parents can…• Push children to

know/memorize basic math facts

• Know all of the fluencies your child should have at the different grade levels

Key FluenciesGrade Required Fluency

K Add/subtract within 5

1st Add/subtract within 10

2nd Add/subtract within 20 (addition/subtraction facts)Add/subtract within 100

3rd Multiply/divide within 100 (multiplication/division facts)Add/subtract within 1,000

4th Add/subtract within 1,000,000

5th Multi-digit multiplicationMulti-digit division

6th Multi-digit decimal operations

7th Solve px + q=r, p(x + q)=r

8th Solve simple 2 x 2 systems by inspection

Mathematics Shift 4:Know it/Do it!

Student must…• Understand why the math

works. Make the math work.

• Talk about why the math works.

• Prove that they know why and how the math works.

Parents can…• Notice whether your child

really knows why the answer is what it is.

• Provide time for your child to work hard with math at home.

• Try to know the math your child needs to know.

Current Sample Test Item 5th Grade MathSamantha is making an Apple Crumb Pie using the ingredients below.

Apple Crumb Pie

How much total sugar must Samantha use to make the pie crumb and filling?

a. 7/12 cupb. 2/6 cupc. 3/4 cupd. 2/3 cup

Crumb Filling

3/4 cup flour 4 cups sliced apples

1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup raisins

Example Common Core Performance Task: 5th Grade Math

Stuffed with PizzaJohn and Daniel are stuffed with pizza. John ate one-fourth of a cheese pizza, three-eighths of a pepperoni pizza, and one-half of a mushroom pizza. Daniel ate five-eights of a cheese pizza, and the other half of the mushroom pizza. All of the pizzas were the same size. John says he ate more pizza than Daniel because Daniel did not eat any pepperoni pizza. Daniel says they each ate the same amount of pizza. Who is correct? Show all of your mathematical thinking.

Example Annotated Student Work

The student models with mathematics. The diagram is accurate, labeled and a key is provided.

By drawing a diagram, the student is able to make sense of the problem. The student knows to find equivalent fractions to help solve the problem.

Additional Common Core Resources

• www.georgiastandards.org

• www.pta.org/4446.htm

• www.corestandards.org