Introducing ... The Common Core: ELA
Presented by Kevin Hodgson
Speaking/Listening Strands
Writing Strands
- More expository/information writing
- More writing in all content areas
- Less personal narrative (and very little poetry)
- Focus on Argumentative/Persuasive writing
- Use of "evidence" and sources to support ideas
- Use of voice to project "stance"
- Oral presentations to "synthesize" information
- More focused, guided classroom discussions and debates
- Challenge assumptions with research
- Collaboration with others for solving problem
- Publishing for authentic audiences
English Language Conventions
- Taught within contexts of reading and writing
- Content-area vocabulary
Reading Strands
Literacy Across Content Areas
- "Close reading" skills
- Increased text complexity
- Combination of longer/ shorter texts
- Information/non-fiction texts
- Focus on comprehension/critical thinking
- Synthesis skills
- Reading/Writing taught in ALL content areas
- Writing to learn activities
- Studies of genres (ie, historical documents, lab reports, etc.)
- Explicit instruction
- Content-area vocabulary
- Research-based analysis
- Authentic writing assignments
A Visual Overview
What's Coming?
PARCC Assessment: in 2014/15
The Shifts
- Increased non-fiction reading texts
- Focus on "text complexity"
- Increased use of "evidence" to inform writing
- Emphasis on argumentative writing
- Reading comprehension skills over decoding skills
- Explicit teaching of academic vocabulary/ texts
- Literacy taught in ALL content areas
- Technology and Media literacy