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Common Core: What can Parents Do?

Presented by:

Mrs. A. Cassidy

Ms. M. Florio

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• 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

A Closer Look: ELA/Literacy Shifts

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Read more non- fiction

• Understand how non-fiction is written and put together

• Enjoy and discuss the details of non-fiction

• Supply non-fiction texts to read

• Read non-fiction books aloud or with your child

• Have fun with non-fiction in front of your children

ELA Shift #1: Read as much non-fiction as fiction

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Learn more about Science and Social Studies through reading

• Use “primary source” documents

• Get smarter through the use of texts

• Supply texts on topics that interest your child

• Find books that explain how things work and why

• Discuss non-fiction texts and their ideas

ELA Shift #2: Learn about the world by reading

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Re-read

• Read books at their comfort level and more challenging texts

• Not just read, comprehend

• Handle frustration and keep pushing to improve

• Provide more challenging texts their children want to read in addition to books they can read easily

• Know what is grade level appropriate

• Read challenging books with your child

• Show that challenging books are worth reading

ELA Shift #3: Read more complex material carefully

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Find evidence to support their arguments

• Form judgments and opinions

• Become scholars• Discuss what the

author is thinking• Make predictions

• Talk about texts• Demand evidence in

everyday discussions, debates and disagreements

• Read aloud or read the same book as your child and discuss with evidence

ELA Shift #4: Discuss reading using evidence

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Make arguments in writing using evidence

• Compare multiple texts in writing

• Learn to write well

• Encourage writing at home

• Write “books” together using evidence and details

• Review samples of student writing: http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf

ELA Shift #5: Write from sources

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Learn the words they will need to use in college and career

• Get smarter at using the “language of power”

• Read often and constantly with young children

• Read multiple books about the same topic

• Let your children see you reading

• Talk to your children, read to them, listen to them, sing with them, make up silly rhymes and word games

ELA Shift #6: Build an academic vocabulary

An Overview of the ELA Test

• The test will take place over 3 days. • Each session will last 90 minutes.• The test will consist of multiple choice

questions, short answers, and extended response questions.

• Day One is estimated to take 70 minutes.• Day Two is estimated to take 60 minutes.• Day Three is estimated to take 50 minutes.

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ELA Test Design

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What to Expect from Multiple Choice

Questions• Students will be asked to analyze a text or vocabulary.

• Students may be asked to combine skills (identify central theme and show how it is supported).

• Students will navigate through “distractors”.

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What to Expect from Short Answer Questions

• Students will use inference skills to answer a single question.

• Responses must be supported with textual evidence.

• At least 2 pieces of textual evidence must be used in response.

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What to Expect from Extended Response

• Designed to assess writing from sources.• Require analysis of either an individual text or

paired texts.• Paired texts share a related theme, genre, or

other characteristics.• Students must express a position and support

it with evidence from one (or two texts).

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Types of ELA Questions

• On the ELA, students will encounter:

*Text Dependent Questions

*Inferential Questions

*Critical Thinking and Analysis Questions

• Visit http://www.engageny.org/resource/new-york-state-common-core-sample-questions for sample ELA questions!

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Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

• Now it’s your turn to answer a few questions from last year’s 5th grade ELA test!

• After we answer the questions, we will review the answers and rubrics

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• Focus: learn more about less

• Build skills across grades

• Develop speed and accuracy

• Really know it, Really do it

• Use it in the real world

• Think fast AND solve problems

A Closer Look: Mathematics Shifts

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Spend more time on fewer concepts

• Go more in-depth on each one

• Know what the priority work is for your child at their grade level

• Spend time with your child on that work

• Ask your child’s teacher about his or her progress on the priority work

Math Shift #1: Focus: Learn more about less

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Keep building on learning year after year

• Be aware of what your child struggled with last year and how that will affect ongoing learning

• Advocate for your child and ensure that support is given for “gap” skills: negative numbers, fractions, etc.

Math Shift #2: Learn skills across grades

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Spend time practicing by doing lots of problems on the same idea

• Push children to know, understand and memorize basic math facts

• Know all of the fluencies your child should have; prioritize learning of the ones they still find difficult

Math Shift #3: Develop speed and accuracy

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Make the math work, and understand why it does

• Talk about why the math works

• Prove that they know why and how the math works

• Notice whether your child really knows why the answer is what it is

• Advocate for the time your child needs to learn key math skills

• Provide time for your child to work at math skills at home

• Get smarter in the math your child needs to know

Math Shift #4: Really know it, really do it

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Apply math in real world situations

• Know which math skills to use for which situation

• Ask your child to do that math that comes up in your daily life

Math Shift #5: Use it in the real world

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Parents SHOULDStudents MUST

• Be able to use core math facts quickly

• Be able to apply math in the real world

• Notice your child’s strengths and weaknesses in math

• Make sure your child practices the math facts that prove most difficult

• Make sure your child thinks about math in real life

Math Shift #6: Think fast and solve problems

Fifth Grade Math Curriculum

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• Major Clusters of Grade (70-80 %)

a) Numbers and Operations in Base Ten

b) Number and Operations – Fractions (adding & subtracting fractions with like/unlike denominators, multiplying & dividing fractions)

c) Measurement & Data (geometric measurement & volume)

Fifth Grade Math Curriculum

• Supporting Clusters of Grade (10-20%)

a) Measurement & Data (converting measurements & representing/interpreting data)

• Additional Clusters (5-10 %) Geometry (classifying two-dimensional figures & writing and interpreting numerical expressions)

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An Overview of the Fifth Grade Math Test

• The test will take place over 3 days.• Sessions 1 and 2 will be 80 minutes.• Session 3 will be 90 minutes.• The estimated time on task for

Sessions 1 & 2 is 40 minutes.• The estimated time on task for Session

3 is 70 minutes.

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Math Test Design

• Day One: 24 multiple choice questions• Day Two: 25 multiple choice questions• Day Three: 6 short response questions and 4

extended response questions

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What do the Questions Look Like?

• Multiple Choice: These will assess a skill or concept. Many will involve multiple steps and combine concepts.

• Short Response: Students will complete a task and show their work. These will require multiple steps and knowledge of mathematical practices.

• Extended Response: Students will show work by completing two or more tasks or complete a more extensive problem.

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Are Your Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

• Now it’s your turn to answer a few questions from last year’s 5th grade Math test!

• After we answer the questions, we will review the answers and rubrics

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Resources for parents

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EngageNY

• www.achievethecore.org

• www.pta.org/4446.htm

• http://www.cgcs.org/Domain/36

• http://parcconline.org/parcc-content-frameworks

Additional resources

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Thank you