Implementing the ELA Common Core Standards in the Elementary Classroom

Julie ChiaveriniUniversity of California IrvineApril 2014

Stand Up If…

Our Objectives

• Review the framework and importance of the Language Arts Common Core State Standards

• Identify 3 major shifts in instructional expectations

• Discuss classroom implementation strategies

• Interactive Instruction- 5 Minute Limit

Common Core Framework

READING

* Standards for Literature & Informational Texts (K-12)* Standards for Reading Foundational Skills (K-5)

WRITING3 Types of Writing: * Arguments and Opinions * Informative/Explanatory, * Narrative TextsSPEAKING &

LISTENING

*Comprehension & Collaboration

* Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

LANGUAGE

* Writing Conventions & Grammar

* Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Why the Common Core State Standards are Better…• Have a clear design with central goals and high

standards. • Emphasize much higher-level comprehension skills

than previous standards.

• Convey that intellectual growth occurs through time, across years, and across disciplines.

• Respect the professional judgment of classroom teachers.

“Read like a detective and write like a conscientious investigative reporter.”~David ColemanCo-author of the Common Core

3 Major Shifts in InstructionA Change in Practice…

7

•To…

•Content knowledge comes from a balance of reading, writing, lecture, and hands-on experience

•From…

•Content knowledge primarily from teacher-led lecture

Shift #1

Regular Practice with Complex Texts and Academic Language

Complex Text & Academic Language

What Does this Mean?

Complex texts include: uncommon vocabulary, longer paragraphs, complex sentences, etc..

Academic Language- Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3

Why is this Important?

A student who can't read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19. (Hernandez, 2012)

Increasing text complexity forces students to respond and think to complex ideas that they will need in college and in careers.

Complex Texts & Academic Language

What Can You Do to Support Students with the Shift?

1. Scaffold student learning as they read more complex texts:

• Multiple readings• Read Aloud• Chunking text (a little at a time)

2. Provide support while reading, rather than before and/or after.3. Introduce Close Reading skills, in which students analyze multiple components of a text and are invited o revisit the text multiple times.

Shift #2

Reading and Writing are Grounded in Evidence

Provide Evidence

What Does this Mean?

Text-Dependent Questions that demand careful attention to the text.

Provide evidence in writing to inform or support claims.

Why is this Important?

Research indicated that 80% of the questions students were asked after they read a text:• Did not require them to read the text to answer the

questions.• Did not directly relate to the text read by the

students.(Coleman, 2010)

Provide Evidence

What Can You Do to Support Students with the Shift?

1. Design questions and tasks that require students to respond both orally and in writing to questions about a text in which the answers are found within the text.

2. Build in increased processing time for students to respond to text-dependent questions.

3. Teach students strategies for citing evidence from the text.

Shift #3

Building knowledge through Content-rich NONFICTION

More Nonfiction Texts

What Does this Mean?

50/50 balance of Informational text and Literature (K-5) 70/30 balance of informational text and Literature (9-12)

In grades 2+, students begin consolidating the foundational skills with reading comprehension.

Why is this Important?

Nonfiction makes up the majority of our reading in college/workplace.

Informational text is harder for students to comprehend than narrative text.

Nonfiction texts build background knowledge, which improves students’ overall reading comprehension.

More Nonfiction Texts

What Can You Do to Support Students with the Shift?

1. Read-aloud nonfiction complex texts DAILY.

2. Sequence texts to build knowledge and understanding.

3. Integrate literacy into all subjects.

“Think of literacy as a spine, it holds everything together. The branches of learning connect to it, meaning that all core content teachers have a responsibility to teach literacy.” ~Vicki Phill ips and Carina Wong,The Bil l and Melinda Gates Foundation

Common Core Implementation

“Where is my scripted Teacher Guide to teaching with Common Core State Standards?”“It’s not working!! I am asking the open-ended questions and students don’t know how to answer them.” “How do I assess my students?

“Where is my scripted Teacher Guide to teaching with Common Core Standards?”

Balanced Literacy

Approach

Interactive Read Aloud

Guided Reading

Independent

Reading

Shared Reading

& Writing

Word Study

Balanced Literacy Daily Expectations

• Reading Workshop- 60-75 minutes per day• Reading Focus Lesson/Shared Reading• Guided Reading Groups• Independent Practice w/ conferring• Share

• Word Study- 15-20 minutes per day• Word Strategies/Spelling/Vocabulary• Guided Practice

• Writing Workshop- 45-60 minutes per day• Writing Focus Lesson/Read Aloud• Guided Practice• Independent Practice w/ conferring• Share

“It’s not working!! I am asking the open-ended questions and students don’t

know how to answer them.” Background

knowledge and clear objective

Focused instruction with visual supports

5-7 minute chunks

Allow time for students to:

*Write and process independently

*Compare notes and perceptions with

classmates

Check for Understanding

Reteach, clarify, or move on

Components of

Interactive Instruction

“How do I assess my students?”

Performance Assessments & Rubrics

“Performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to respond to complex real-world problems…These activities are meant to measure capacities such as depth of understanding, writing and research skills, and complex analysis, which cannot be adequately assessed with traditional assessment questions…”

- Smarter Balance Assessment Committee

Classify, CompareAnalyze, Evaluate

Recall, Identify, List, Match

Sample Performance Assessments

• Kindergarten- Students read two texts on the topic of pancakes (Tomie DePaola’s Pancakes for Breakfast and Christina Rossetti’s “Mix a Pancake”) and distinguish between the text that is a strorybook and the text that is a poem. [RL.K.5]

• 3rd grade- When discussing E.B. White’s book Charlotte’s Web, students distinguish their own point of view regarding Wilbur the Pig from that of Fern Arable as well as from the narrator. [RL.3.6]

• 5th grade- Students explain the relationship between time and clocks using specific information drawn from Bruce Koscielniak’s About Time: A First Look at Time and Clocks. [RI.5.3]

• ~Common Core State Standards for ELA Appendix B

Performance Assessment & Rubric Example

Grade 2- Enhancing Reading Comprehension through Series Books

Performance-Based Assessment: Modeling Good Reading Strategies • Students will read a text in pairs, using good

reading strategies learned throughout the unit to deepen comprehension and work through unfamiliar words or phrases. Then, students will conduct interviews to reinforce reading for meaning.

Category

1 Far below grade level

expectation

2below grade level

expectations

3expected grade level

performance

4Above expected level of

performanceAnnotation

Does not read the story aloud with a partner and/or does not effectively annotate the story to aid comprehension by utilizing more than 2 of the following symbols:

o   Underlines in pink words or phrases that they don’t understando   Highlights in yellow the context clues that helped them understand what they underlined in pinko   Places a star in at least 2 places where they stopped and thought about what they were readingo   Highlight in green the names of the primary characterso   Underline with a squiggle the names of the secondary characters

Reads the story aloud with a partner, annotating as they read to aid comprehension by utilizing 3-4 of the following symbols:

o   Underlines in pink words or phrases that they don’t understando   Highlights in yellow the context clues that helped them understand what they underlined in pinko   Places a star in at least 2 places where they stopped and thought about what they were readingo   Highlight in green the names of the primary characterso   Underline with a squiggle the names of the secondary characters 

Reads the story aloud with a partner, annotating as they read to aid comprehension by utilizing all of the following symbols:

o   Underlines in pink words or phrases that they don’t understando   Highlights in yellow the context clues that helped them understand what they underlined in pinko   Places a star in at least 2 places where they stopped and thought about what they were readingo   Highlight in green the names of the primary characterso   Underline with a squiggle the names of the secondary characters 

Reads the story aloud with a partner, annotating as they read to aid comprehension. Uses all of the following symbols

o   Underlines in pink words or phrases that they don’t understando   Highlights in yellow the context clues that helped them understand what they underlined in pinko   Places a star in at least 2 places where they stopped and thought about what they were readingo   Highlight in green the names of the primary characterso   Underline with a squiggle the names of the secondary characters 

Interviews

Does not ask at least 2 and/or answer at least 2 questions about the story. Does not refer back to the story when answering questions.

Asks 2 and answers 2 questions about the story.  May not refer directly to the text when answering.

Asks 2 and answers 2 questions about the story, referring explicitly to details from the text in answers.

Asks 2 and answers 2 or more questions about the story, referring explicitly to details from the text in answers.  Makes connections between questions, and/or elaborates on partner’s answers in a productive discussion.

Discussion

Does not actively participate in interviews and/or continually breaks agreed upon rules of discussion.

Participates in interviews, may need to be reminded of rules of discussion once or twice.

Actively participates in interviews, following agreed upon rules for discussion.

Actively participates in interviews, following agreed upon rules for discussion. Helps to keep partner on task. Asks partner to elaborate on answers/extend discussion of the story.

Did we meet our objectives…

Review the framework and importance of the Language Arts Common Core State Standards

Identify 3 major shifts in instructional expectationsComplex Text & Academic VocabularyProvide EvidenceMore Nonfiction Texts

Discuss classroom implementation strategiesBalanced Literacy approachInteractive InstructionPerformance Assessments & Rubrics

Helpful Resources

• Marshall Memo• ACSD Smart Brief

• “Pathways to Common Core” by Lucy Calkins• “The Continuum of Literacy Learning” by Fountas

& Pinnell

• Achieve the Core: www.Achievethecore.org• Columbia Teacher’s College Reading and Writing

Project: www.readingandwritingproject.com• Smarter Balanced Assessment:

www.smarterbalanced.org

Implementing the ELA Common Core Standards in the Elementary Classroom

Julie ChiaveriniUniversity of California IrvineApril 2014

Thank you!Jchiaver@UCI.e

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