Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: An Introduction to the Common Core State Standards
A reminder that we can view the standards in a negative or positive light, and an invitation to use what is best in the standards to leverage our work for whole school reform.
READING STANDARDS
CHAPTER TWO: Overview of the Reading Standards: What Do They Say and What Does This Mean for Us?
A nuts and bolts look at the reading standards, highlighting what the standards do and don’t value in reading comprehension for both literature and nonfiction, as well as implications for implementation.
CHAPTER THREE: Literal Understanding and Text Complexity: Standards 1 and 10
A close look at the CCSS’s emphasis on literal comprehension and grade level text complexity, with a focus on how to get students reading increasingly complex texts independently and proficiently.
CHAPTER FOUR: Reading Literature: Standards 2–9
A guide to trying out the literature standards with your colleagues, bringing you to a clear understanding of what this works entails for all readers and how to ramp up instruction for your students.
CHAPTER FIVE: Reading Informational Texts: Standards 2–9
A guide to trying out the informational texts standards with your colleagues, bringing you to a clear understanding of what this work entails for all readers and how to ramp up instruction for your students.
WRITING STANDARDS
CHAPTER SIX: Overview of the Writing Standards: What Do They Say and What Does This Mean for Us?
A nuts and bolts look at the writing standards, highlighting the three types of texts the standards call for, the quality of writing the standards expect, and the emphasis on writing process and writing across the disciplines.
CHAPTER SEVEN: The CCSS and Composing Narrative Texts
A look at the CCSS’s expectations for narrative writing, including the high level of writing the standards expect and the learning progressions the standards outline, followed by what this all means for instruction.
CHAPTER EIGHT: The CCSS and Composing Argument Texts
A look at the CCSS’s emphasis on argument and opinion writing, outlining the major skills opinion and argument writers need in order to write in this genre and the standards’ grade level expectations, followed by what this all means for instruction.
CHAPTER NINE: The CCSS and Composing Informational Texts
A look at the CCSS’s call for writing informational texts, outlining the major skills information writers need in order to write in this genre and the cross-curricular mandate of the standards, followed by what this all means for instruction.
SPEAKING/LISTENING AND LANGUAGE STANDARDS
CHAPTER TEN: Overview of the Speaking and Listening and of the Language Standards: What Do They Say and What Does This Mean for Us?
A nuts and bolts look at the speaking and listening and the language standards, highlighting what the standards do and don’t emphasize, followed by implications for implementation.
CHAPTER ELEVEN: CCSS-Aligned Assessments Fuel Whole School Reform
A culminating chapter that synthesizes the most important aspects of the standards, focusing especially on how the CCSS can be an impetus for whole school reform, moving all students, in every classroom, to become better readers and writers.
References
Index