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Common Core Standards and the Six Shifts in ELA

Shift 1: Balancing Informational and Literary Texts. Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts. Elementary school classrooms are, therefore, places where students access the world ? science, social studies, the arts and literature ? through text. At least 50% of what student

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Common Core Standards and the Six Shifts in ELA

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    2. Shift 1: Balancing Informational and Literary Texts Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts. Elementary school classrooms are, therefore, places where students access the world – science, social studies, the arts and literature – through text. At least 50% of what students read is informational. In other words? Shift 1 Video 2

    3. SHIFT 1 Grades PK-5 Balancing Informational & Literary Texts This shift is intended to prepare our students for the demands and the reality of college and career expectations for reading (and essentially writing). A reminder of a balance between narrative non-fiction and non-narrative non-fiction needs to be made in order to capture the essence of the type of non-fiction reading emphasized in the CCLS. Teachers will need to evaluate the make-up of their classroom libraries/teaching materials to determine if there are sufficient resources available to them to make this shift. School librarians will need to be consulted as a resource to support teachers and to ensure library selections reflect this shift as well. This shift is intended to prepare our students for the demands and the reality of college and career expectations for reading (and essentially writing). A reminder of a balance between narrative non-fiction and non-narrative non-fiction needs to be made in order to capture the essence of the type of non-fiction reading emphasized in the CCLS. Teachers will need to evaluate the make-up of their classroom libraries/teaching materials to determine if there are sufficient resources available to them to make this shift. School librarians will need to be consulted as a resource to support teachers and to ensure library selections reflect this shift as well.

    4. ELA/Literacy Shift 1: Balancing Informational and Literary Text 4 This shift involves simply reading more informational text – balancing the amount of literature with informational text. Elementary teachers are the students tour guide to world – to culture, to society. Rather than telling students about what is happening out there, we need to have them read about it. More literary non fiction, more information being conveyed through writing. Less fiction. Less telling and summarizing by the teacher.This shift involves simply reading more informational text – balancing the amount of literature with informational text. Elementary teachers are the students tour guide to world – to culture, to society. Rather than telling students about what is happening out there, we need to have them read about it. More literary non fiction, more information being conveyed through writing. Less fiction. Less telling and summarizing by the teacher.

    5. Shift 2: Building Knowledge in the Disciplines Content area teachers outside of the ELA classroom emphasize literacy experiences in their planning and instruction. Students learn through domain-specific texts in science and social studies classrooms – rather than referring to the text, they are expected to learn from what they read. In other words? Shift 2 Video 5

    6. SHIFT 2 Grades 6-12 Knowledge in the disciplines Conscious effort to weave/embed content area literacy into the Standards to ensure that literacy instruction is shared across the disciplines & not the sole responsibility of the ELA teacher. Students are expected to read and write with competency within specific disciplines and content teachers are expected to provide these experiences with equal rigor i.e., provide models of quality reading and writing examples specific to a domain; examine structures inherent to domain specific reading and writing tasks; multiple opportunities for practicing domain specific reading and writing tasks, etc. Teachers would be wise to engage in collaborative efforts to find common ground in supporting literacy instruction school-wide (an example might be developing a common writing rubric from which all students and teachers would gauge progress.) Conscious effort to weave/embed content area literacy into the Standards to ensure that literacy instruction is shared across the disciplines & not the sole responsibility of the ELA teacher. Students are expected to read and write with competency within specific disciplines and content teachers are expected to provide these experiences with equal rigor i.e., provide models of quality reading and writing examples specific to a domain; examine structures inherent to domain specific reading and writing tasks; multiple opportunities for practicing domain specific reading and writing tasks, etc. Teachers would be wise to engage in collaborative efforts to find common ground in supporting literacy instruction school-wide (an example might be developing a common writing rubric from which all students and teachers would gauge progress.)

    7. ELA/Literacy Shift 2: 6-12 Knowledge in the Disciplines 7 Students must be ready to handle more informational text. In order to do this, teachers must work to build their own skills to deliver this Instead of “telling” the students information, have them read about it. We all must have a balance of accessing informational text; accessing non-fiction in general. And, all content teachers 6-12, must do this as well. The Common Core is asking that all teachers become reading teachers. For example, instead of telling students about the Civil Rights Movement, teachers find text for them to read about the Civil Rights Movement. The way that content should be delivered is through sources; through texts, through data, through information online.Students must be ready to handle more informational text. In order to do this, teachers must work to build their own skills to deliver this Instead of “telling” the students information, have them read about it. We all must have a balance of accessing informational text; accessing non-fiction in general. And, all content teachers 6-12, must do this as well. The Common Core is asking that all teachers become reading teachers. For example, instead of telling students about the Civil Rights Movement, teachers find text for them to read about the Civil Rights Movement. The way that content should be delivered is through sources; through texts, through data, through information online.

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    9. 9 Post-CCLS: A unit utilizing paired texts of both fiction and nonfiction are given (fairly) equal billing in the study of a larger, key theme (the hero’s journey as opposed to The Odyssey). This balance of texts provides students with practice reading different text structures as well as opportunities to learn about the subject matter in the discipline (The Hero with the Thousand Faces provides a detailed history of the hero’s journey via a comprehensive analysis of myths throughout the ages). Note the balance here of a narrative non-fiction text (The Lost City of Z) with a non-narrative non-fiction text (The Hero with a Thousand Faces). Post-CCLS: A unit utilizing paired texts of both fiction and nonfiction are given (fairly) equal billing in the study of a larger, key theme (the hero’s journey as opposed to The Odyssey). This balance of texts provides students with practice reading different text structures as well as opportunities to learn about the subject matter in the discipline (The Hero with the Thousand Faces provides a detailed history of the hero’s journey via a comprehensive analysis of myths throughout the ages). Note the balance here of a narrative non-fiction text (The Lost City of Z) with a non-narrative non-fiction text (The Hero with a Thousand Faces).

    10. Shift 3: Staircase of Complexity In order to prepare students for the complexity of college and career ready texts, each grade level requires a “step” of growth on the “staircase”. Students read the central, grade appropriate text around which instruction is centered. Teachers are patient, create more time and space in the curriculum for this close and careful reading, and provide appropriate and necessary scaffolding and supports so that it is possible for students reading below grade level. In other words? Shift 3 Video: (start to 2:15, 3:15-5:05) 10

    11. SHIFT 3 Staircase of complexity Steady decline in K-12 reading difficulty and sophistication of text for several decades (see Appendix A for research on this as well as further explanation of the three components used to determine text complexity). College and workplace reading demands have held steady or increased, creating a gap which hinders students’ ability to read at or above grade level and with little to no assistance Steady decline in K-12 reading difficulty and sophistication of text for several decades (see Appendix A for research on this as well as further explanation of the three components used to determine text complexity). College and workplace reading demands have held steady or increased, creating a gap which hinders students’ ability to read at or above grade level and with little to no assistance

    12. ELA/Literacy Shift 3: Staircase of Complexity 12 Students must be reading in all content areas. Increasingly complex texts throughout P-12. The Common Core is often defining grade level text complexity as texts that are 2-3 grade levels more complex than the current grade level texts in school so that they are actually prepared to access the complexity they encounter in careers and college. Appendix B of the Common Core State Standards includes a list of texts that model levels of complexity for every grade level. This is an important portion of standards and should be reviewed. Students must be reading in all content areas. Increasingly complex texts throughout P-12. The Common Core is often defining grade level text complexity as texts that are 2-3 grade levels more complex than the current grade level texts in school so that they are actually prepared to access the complexity they encounter in careers and college. Appendix B of the Common Core State Standards includes a list of texts that model levels of complexity for every grade level. This is an important portion of standards and should be reviewed.

    13. CCSS for ELA Appendix B 13

    14. SHIFT 3 Staircase of Complexity Pre-CCLS: This might be a typical text-book explanation for one piece of the hero’s journey. The text is not particularly demanding in terms of understanding the concept, but could be a precursor to helping students understand a more complex explanation of the hero’s journey. Pre-CCLS: This might be a typical text-book explanation for one piece of the hero’s journey. The text is not particularly demanding in terms of understanding the concept, but could be a precursor to helping students understand a more complex explanation of the hero’s journey.

    15. Post-CCLS: When confronted with the increased demands of text complexity required by the CCLS, one can quickly see the difference in what students would need to understand reading this as to what they needed to understand the text in the previous slide. Excerpted from the core text The Hero of a Thousand Faces, this text requires a skill set that includes figurative language, visual imagery, inferencing, prior knowledge of well-known myths, vocabulary usage, etc. that were not as evident or prevalent in the previous slide. The richness of this passage encourages the reader to linger and closely examine the author’s message.Post-CCLS: When confronted with the increased demands of text complexity required by the CCLS, one can quickly see the difference in what students would need to understand reading this as to what they needed to understand the text in the previous slide. Excerpted from the core text The Hero of a Thousand Faces, this text requires a skill set that includes figurative language, visual imagery, inferencing, prior knowledge of well-known myths, vocabulary usage, etc. that were not as evident or prevalent in the previous slide. The richness of this passage encourages the reader to linger and closely examine the author’s message.

    16. Shift 4: Text-Based Answers Students have rich and rigorous conversations which are dependent on a common text. Teachers insist that classroom experiences stay deeply connected to the text on the page and that students develop habits for making evidentiary arguments both in conversation, as well as in writing to assess comprehension of a text. In other words? Shift 4 Video 16

    17. SHIFT 4 Text-based answers Text-based answers (student focus) can be flipped to “text-dependent questions” or “evidence-based questions” (teacher focus). The development of questions can no longer be on the fly or an after-thought of instruction. Quality, thoughtful questions require purposeful planning and consideration for where they will lead students in their learning. Text-dependent questions by nature will require students to make multiple forays into the text, examining specific passages, sentences, and words, driving the need for close reading to determine what the author is expressing through the text. Questions that require students to not attend to the text are discouraged. Connections students make to the text should always lead them back to the actual text in question. Text-based answers (student focus) can be flipped to “text-dependent questions” or “evidence-based questions” (teacher focus). The development of questions can no longer be on the fly or an after-thought of instruction. Quality, thoughtful questions require purposeful planning and consideration for where they will lead students in their learning. Text-dependent questions by nature will require students to make multiple forays into the text, examining specific passages, sentences, and words, driving the need for close reading to determine what the author is expressing through the text. Questions that require students to not attend to the text are discouraged. Connections students make to the text should always lead them back to the actual text in question.

    18. ELA/Literacy Shift 4: Text Based Answers 18 Students need to develop the ability to engage in rich, evidence-based dialogue about a text they have read. Having students have conversations about text and teachers’ facilitation of these conversations, requires a higher level of sophistication for both teachers and students. Rather than the quicker connections between text and self, teachers must now train students to stay in the text, to draw conclusions and make arguments about the text and do so through the text itself. Teachers will often be asking, “where do you see that in the text? What paragraph? What sentence? What word?” students must begin to think and argue through and with texts by constantly being asked to find evidence in what they have read.Students need to develop the ability to engage in rich, evidence-based dialogue about a text they have read. Having students have conversations about text and teachers’ facilitation of these conversations, requires a higher level of sophistication for both teachers and students. Rather than the quicker connections between text and self, teachers must now train students to stay in the text, to draw conclusions and make arguments about the text and do so through the text itself. Teachers will often be asking, “where do you see that in the text? What paragraph? What sentence? What word?” students must begin to think and argue through and with texts by constantly being asked to find evidence in what they have read.

    19. Pre-CCLS: Students would not necessarily need to read a specific text in order to answer this question. Currently posed, students’ answers could be based on prior knowledge and experiences with the concepts of “mythology” and “hero”. The CCLS requires students to base answers upon what a text says or doesn’t say. Personal connections and prior knowledge are acceptable as long as the text under study remains the focus of their analysis. However, this is an evidence-based question (meaning that students could answer it using the passage provided), but it requires minimal thinking on the students’ behalf and can be answered by “skimming the text”. This question enables students to engage in “amateur interactions” with the text. The bigger question is what will students have learned as a result of answering this question. Pre-CCLS: Students would not necessarily need to read a specific text in order to answer this question. Currently posed, students’ answers could be based on prior knowledge and experiences with the concepts of “mythology” and “hero”. The CCLS requires students to base answers upon what a text says or doesn’t say. Personal connections and prior knowledge are acceptable as long as the text under study remains the focus of their analysis. However, this is an evidence-based question (meaning that students could answer it using the passage provided), but it requires minimal thinking on the students’ behalf and can be answered by “skimming the text”. This question enables students to engage in “amateur interactions” with the text. The bigger question is what will students have learned as a result of answering this question.

    20. Post-CCLS: Questions are planned with the text in mind, requiring students to go beyond the literal to more in-depth analysis of the text under discussion while building knowledge in the content (author’s craft in using symbolism & explanation of the complex story structure of the hero’s journey). Students must cite specific references and examples from the text, but can still build meaning for themselves by considering the text through the lens of introspection. This question requires students to closely examine the author’s message and to cite evidence from the text under study. Text-based question/answer for Slide 22: What fate awaits the (future) hero who refuses the call to adventure? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer. Posed in this manner, a student would have to first determine the negative impact & then isolate examples to support their answer. Post-CCLS: Questions are planned with the text in mind, requiring students to go beyond the literal to more in-depth analysis of the text under discussion while building knowledge in the content (author’s craft in using symbolism & explanation of the complex story structure of the hero’s journey). Students must cite specific references and examples from the text, but can still build meaning for themselves by considering the text through the lens of introspection. This question requires students to closely examine the author’s message and to cite evidence from the text under study. Text-based question/answer for Slide 22: What fate awaits the (future) hero who refuses the call to adventure? Use specific examples from the text to support your answer. Posed in this manner, a student would have to first determine the negative impact & then isolate examples to support their answer.

    21. Shift 5: Writing from Sources Writing needs to emphasize use of evidence to inform or make an argument rather than the personal narrative and other forms of decontextualized prompts. While the narrative still has an important role, students develop skills through written arguments that respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read. In other words? Shift 5 Video

    22. SHIFT 5 Writing from sources Writing from sources can be directly connected to text-based answers in that students will need to examine texts closely in order to respond in writing to those texts. The CCLS support three specific writing genres (although others are not specified, there is room for teacher discretion on the inclusion of relevant writing tasks) with Argument taking center stage. There is a heavy emphasis on students being able to construct sound arguments across the disciplines using multiple sources, relevant evidence, and balanced analyses. Writing tasks should range from short on-demand prompts to longer research-type writing assignments. Writing from sources can be directly connected to text-based answers in that students will need to examine texts closely in order to respond in writing to those texts. The CCLS support three specific writing genres (although others are not specified, there is room for teacher discretion on the inclusion of relevant writing tasks) with Argument taking center stage. There is a heavy emphasis on students being able to construct sound arguments across the disciplines using multiple sources, relevant evidence, and balanced analyses. Writing tasks should range from short on-demand prompts to longer research-type writing assignments.

    23. ELA/Literacy Shift 5: Writing from Sources This is evidence based WRITING about texts. We are shifting away from an overemphasis on narrative writing because it is a skill not often demanded by career and college. What IS demanded by career and college is to synthesize and react to what we have read. Therefore, the Common Core asks that students, across content areas, are being asked to interact with and make arguments through sources – texts, data, etc. Students must be trained to use the evidence they collect from what they read in order to form cogent and convincing argument in the text they produce.This is evidence based WRITING about texts. We are shifting away from an overemphasis on narrative writing because it is a skill not often demanded by career and college. What IS demanded by career and college is to synthesize and react to what we have read. Therefore, the Common Core asks that students, across content areas, are being asked to interact with and make arguments through sources – texts, data, etc. Students must be trained to use the evidence they collect from what they read in order to form cogent and convincing argument in the text they produce.

    24. SHIFT 5 Writing from Sources Pre-CCLS: This writing prompt requires no text association for the students in order to answer. The new CCLS requires proficient and rigorous analysis of texts in writing. With the emphasis on close reading of text and students’ ability to respond to those texts, writing tasks or prompts will need to reflect this change. Students will be required to use the text flexibly to not only support arguments, but to inform as well. Narrative writings are still required, but take on a less prominent role in the CCLS as students progress through the grades. Pre-CCLS: This writing prompt requires no text association for the students in order to answer. The new CCLS requires proficient and rigorous analysis of texts in writing. With the emphasis on close reading of text and students’ ability to respond to those texts, writing tasks or prompts will need to reflect this change. Students will be required to use the text flexibly to not only support arguments, but to inform as well. Narrative writings are still required, but take on a less prominent role in the CCLS as students progress through the grades.

    25. SHIFT 5 Writing from Sources Post-CCLS: The writing prompt for this unit requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the hero’s journey by specifically referring to the texts studied. Students need to rely on the texts studied and what the authors of those texts intended in their meaning and use details from those texts to support their analysis. With the emphasis on close reading of text and students’ ability to respond to those texts, writing tasks or prompts will need to reflect this change. Students will be required to use the text flexibly to not only support arguments, but to inform as well. Narrative writings are still required, but take on a less prominent role in the CCLS as students progress through the grades. Post-CCLS: The writing prompt for this unit requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the hero’s journey by specifically referring to the texts studied. Students need to rely on the texts studied and what the authors of those texts intended in their meaning and use details from those texts to support their analysis. With the emphasis on close reading of text and students’ ability to respond to those texts, writing tasks or prompts will need to reflect this change. Students will be required to use the text flexibly to not only support arguments, but to inform as well. Narrative writings are still required, but take on a less prominent role in the CCLS as students progress through the grades.

    26. Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary Students constantly build the vocabulary they need to access grade level complex texts. By focusing strategically on comprehension of pivotal and commonly found words (such as “discourse,” “generation,” “theory,” and “principled”) and less on esoteric literary terms (such as “onomatopoeia” or “homonym”), teachers constantly build students’ ability to access more complex texts across the content areas. In other words? Shift 6 Video

    27. SHIFT 6 Academic vocabulary Vocabulary is one area of instruction where the research is clear on what students need in order to be successful readers and writers. Explicit instruction of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words is crucial for students to engage fully with grade level text. Tier 2 words are emphasized in the CCLS for direct instruction for the reasons defined in the slide. They are the gateway for many of the complex texts students will be required to access proficiently and independently. An example of a Tier Two word might be “determined”. This word has high-utility across content areas, not specific to one domain, and is generally not defined in context. An example of a Tier Three word might be “mass production”. This word is domain specific (SS), will most likely be defined within the context of the course content or heavily scaffolded via pictures, graphs, bolded within the text, or defined within a glossary.Vocabulary is one area of instruction where the research is clear on what students need in order to be successful readers and writers. Explicit instruction of Tier 2 and Tier 3 words is crucial for students to engage fully with grade level text. Tier 2 words are emphasized in the CCLS for direct instruction for the reasons defined in the slide. They are the gateway for many of the complex texts students will be required to access proficiently and independently. An example of a Tier Two word might be “determined”. This word has high-utility across content areas, not specific to one domain, and is generally not defined in context. An example of a Tier Three word might be “mass production”. This word is domain specific (SS), will most likely be defined within the context of the course content or heavily scaffolded via pictures, graphs, bolded within the text, or defined within a glossary.

    28. ELA/Literacy Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary 28 What the Common Core is asking of us is to consistently develop students ability to use and access words that are showing up in everyday vocabulary but that are slightly out of reach for our students. It is really about giving students the right tools. There are certain words that are great tools as the students will see them in lots of context; when they read, across different disciplines etc. There are other words that are interesting and may come up in certain areas; content specific words like “amoeba;” or there are other words that are sort of esoteric and interesting but they are not words that students will confront frequently as they read. It is important to be strategic about the kind of vocabulary we are teaching. We need to consider what category these words fall in to. Isabel Beck talks about Tier I words as very common words, Tier 2 as words that are powerfully useful and frequently occurring and Tier 3 as domain-specific words. The challenge is in figuring out which words are Tier 2 words and which words to teach. This takes careful planning. it is important to understand the nuances between words, people tend to over rely on synonyms – i.e.. happy and pleased. The author makes a choice between these words. To identify these Tier 2 words it is important to understand what the author is conveying and also to know what words are really going to occur most frequently. Regarding synonyms, fewer words may be taught but also teach the web of words around them. The goal is for the students to not only know the words as a reader, but invest in the words as a writer.What the Common Core is asking of us is to consistently develop students ability to use and access words that are showing up in everyday vocabulary but that are slightly out of reach for our students. It is really about giving students the right tools. There are certain words that are great tools as the students will see them in lots of context; when they read, across different disciplines etc. There are other words that are interesting and may come up in certain areas; content specific words like “amoeba;” or there are other words that are sort of esoteric and interesting but they are not words that students will confront frequently as they read. It is important to be strategic about the kind of vocabulary we are teaching. We need to consider what category these words fall in to. Isabel Beck talks about Tier I words as very common words, Tier 2 as words that are powerfully useful and frequently occurring and Tier 3 as domain-specific words. The challenge is in figuring out which words are Tier 2 words and which words to teach. This takes careful planning. it is important to understand the nuances between words, people tend to over rely on synonyms – i.e.. happy and pleased. The author makes a choice between these words. To identify these Tier 2 words it is important to understand what the author is conveying and also to know what words are really going to occur most frequently. Regarding synonyms, fewer words may be taught but also teach the web of words around them. The goal is for the students to not only know the words as a reader, but invest in the words as a writer.

    29. SHIFT 6 Academic Vocabulary Pre-CCLS: Vocabulary selections for The Odyssey would focus specifically on Tier 3 words with little to no direct instruction of Tier 2 words. Tier 3 (domain specific) vocabulary are often well-supported instructionally as they are the key concepts and/or terms students need to access the content. Hence, class time is dedicated to the direct instruction of such words. Due to other factors (mostly a lack of time and uncertainty of which words to select), many Tier 2 words (those non-domain specific words, not well-defined through context) are not adequately identified for direct instruction. Students, therefore, are left to figure these words out on their own often minimizing their understanding of the text. Pre-CCLS: Vocabulary selections for The Odyssey would focus specifically on Tier 3 words with little to no direct instruction of Tier 2 words. Tier 3 (domain specific) vocabulary are often well-supported instructionally as they are the key concepts and/or terms students need to access the content. Hence, class time is dedicated to the direct instruction of such words. Due to other factors (mostly a lack of time and uncertainty of which words to select), many Tier 2 words (those non-domain specific words, not well-defined through context) are not adequately identified for direct instruction. Students, therefore, are left to figure these words out on their own often minimizing their understanding of the text.

    30. SHIFT 6 Academic Vocabulary Post-CCLS: Continuing with the Hero’s Journey unit, an increase in attention to the direct instruction of Tier 2 words (in addition to Tier 3 words) is expected. With a shift in the text expectations, so too comes a shift in the vocabulary instruction students must receive. Text selections from primary sources or authentic texts often do not demonstrate a level of text cohesion one might find in a heavily scaffolded textbook. As a result, equal attention to those words exhibiting the characteristics of Tier 2 Words is required so that students can better access i.e., understand and attend to the increased demands of the text. Post-CCLS: Continuing with the Hero’s Journey unit, an increase in attention to the direct instruction of Tier 2 words (in addition to Tier 3 words) is expected. With a shift in the text expectations, so too comes a shift in the vocabulary instruction students must receive. Text selections from primary sources or authentic texts often do not demonstrate a level of text cohesion one might find in a heavily scaffolded textbook. As a result, equal attention to those words exhibiting the characteristics of Tier 2 Words is required so that students can better access i.e., understand and attend to the increased demands of the text.

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