The shifts in literacy instruction envisioned by the Common Core State Standards are among the biggest in recent decades. And they're far-reaching: All but four states have adopted the literacy guidelines. But whether the standards are shining a bright new light on reading or casting an ominous shadow over it remains a point of debate.
Prekindergartners at Calvin Rodwell Elementary School in Baltimore, above, listen to their teacher, Erika Parker, as she reads <i>A Day at the Pumpkin Patch</i>, a nonfiction book about visiting a farm. The book is part of a unit that aims to blend the reading of stories and nonfiction with learning outside the classroom. The day after the children read the book, they visited Summers Farm in Frederick, Md.
Diana Leddy works with kindergartners and 1st graders at the Blue School to complete writing, reading, and drawing exercises using scenes from the Dr. Seuss book <i>The Lorax</i>. Built in 1858, the one-room schoolhouse in Landaff, N.H., is using the book as a way to fuse lessons in writing and reading.
Andrew Archuleta, a 4th grader at Emerson Elementary School in Albuquerque, N.M., raises his hand to ask a question about a writing assignment. Teachers at his school are piloting ways to help English learners master new reading and writing standards.
Many states now require the identification of struggling readers and, in some places, retaining them until their skills are up to par.
Erik W. Robelen, November 13, 2012
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4 min read
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