ELA Common Core Resources

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been overwhelmed by the transition to Common Core ELA standards. I do see and understand the need for exposing students to more complex texts and giving them the chance to really dig into and interact with what they are reading. I'm just struggling with how to handle the transition, especially for my 5th graders who have not had previous exposure to the standards and are just being "thrown in". Not only am I not totally sure how to "unpack" and teach the new standards, but it's difficult to know how to build in the prerequisite skills and experiences they are missing while moving them forward.

What follows is nothing that I have created-- I claim no ownership to the websites, blogs, or activities-- I have merely made a collection of resources that I have found useful. 

STUDENT RESOURCES (**FREE** STUFF TO USE WITH YOUR STUDENTS!!)

•  Newsela- This site is A-MAZING, and I'm not exaggerating. It not only provides nonfiction/informational texts in the form of current event news articles BUT it provides the article on multiple Lexile levels! It does the differentiation for you! AND.... many of the articles come with a quiz or discussion questions, which also are differentiated based on the level of the article selected. Told you-- amazing, right??
• The Learning Network- This site is linked to the New York Times, and provides teaching and learning materials. Includes NYT articles as well as lesson plans and activity ideas.
• FCRR's Student Center Activities- Use this link to access TONS of graphic organizers that are matched to specific CC standards, objectives, and lesson ideas. Activities are organized by grade level, CC Standard, and then lesson/activity title. Because this website and resources are from Florida, they align with Florida's CC Standards, but each is categorized by CC standard, so everyone can use them and easily tie them to their state's specific standards.  

WEBSITES/BLOGS

• "Five Close Reading Strategies to Support the Common Core" blog entry at iTeach.iCoach.iBlog.'s blog. This blog gives some great strategies to teach and use with (intermediate elementary and above) students to help them learn how to access complex texts. The strategies can be first taught, and then used independently by students. They are simple, yet quite brilliant. 

• Hello Literacy's Blog & Website- If you have never checked out this blog or resources by Jen Jones, take 10 minutes and do it now! It's that good. She has great ideas, information, and activities to share, and she shares them in a clear and enjoyable way. If it has to do with literacy and the Common Core, she'll have something about it :)

• School Improvement Network's Common Core blog- I just found this blog, but it looks chalked full of resources. It advertises itself as, "A resource guide to Common Core Standards tools". 
• Create-Abilities: Top Notch Common Core Activities- Although this blog is what many would consider "a regular teacher's blog", the majority of the posts and resources are about Common Core. I especially found the (several) posts about Close reading helpful.

BOOKS

• Pathways to the Common Core: Accelerating Achievement by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth, and Christopher Lehman

        There is a brief introductory and a summary of a section on how to help all students access complex texts at The Teacher Studio blog.  

• Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kyleen Beers and Robert E. Probst

         I am actually reading this book right now, and I am happy with my purchase. I purchased the book after reading a review at Teaching in Room 6's blog. She also includes some activity ideas and the way she implemented it in her classroom.

Read to us!

In the day and age of testing and the endless roll out of new standards, some times we forget the simpliest things... Yesterday I read a picture book to my 5th graders. They so enjoyed it, and today they asked if I could read to them again.

Fear not, Standard Sticklers, I made sure to pick a good mentor text which led to a lot of rich discussion and the practice of some essential CC skills. 

Wednesday's pick...

• Grace is a wonderful character to analyze for traits based on her thoughts, actions, and feelings. 
• Good text clues in which to make inferences
• A great story for determining theme
• Has a very positive message about self-confidence and perseverance

Thursday's pick...

• This book is great for inferring Grace's feelings and thoughts; not just what they are, but why she has them
• There is opportunity for self-to-text and text-to-text connection as concepts of family and divorce are discussed
• A few opportunities for predicting
• A great story for determining theme
• Seeing a "known" character on another adventure allowed for deeper character analysis 
• It would be easy to look at story events from another character's perspective (ie. her dad's or stepmother's)