Common Core and Informational Text Using Multiple Sources

Common core brings informational texts of all types into the classroom for students to read and analyze on a more independent level.  Teachers will now devote class time to setting up tasks in which students must approach such texts much in the way a university student would--independently or within small teams.  After all, in the real world, reading tasks are approached that way.

With common core, this will be evident at multiple grade levels and continue right through the 12th grade.  Though literature will still be taught of course, the shift through all subject areas is to informational/non-fiction reading materials.  Every content teacher will be a reading teacher.  This skill will no longer be delegated to the English department.  Now, every content teacher will need to allot time to teach the skill of reading a textbook, solving a complex math problem, designing a lab report, etc.  Writing demands of every department will be dealt with in each content area course so students will be engaging in developing reading and writing skills in every course. 

Of course, the instructor will always be in the classroom should a problem arise but more in the position of a "coach" guiding students through the process rather than as a summarizer of key topics which might be "too difficult" for students to understand on their own. 

Sources for informational text are many.  Below is a guide for using newspapers in the classroom.  Though newspapers in "paper" form are becoming increasingly scarce, the digital versions are growing.  USING NEWSPAPERS AS INFORMATIONAL TEXT

This next link provides an extensive list of informational text for secondary.  Everything on it is free.
 SUPPORTS FOR ARGUMENT ESSAYS--VIDEO, NEWS ARTICLES, ETC.  There are no hyperlinks here so copy the link and paste it in the search bar.

Hope you find these sites useful:)

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

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COMMON CORE and NON-FICTION READING SKILLS--a Must Combination for ELLs!

How will ELLs master the art of reading non-fiction?  There are several mini-steps teachers will need to model and support ELLs in the process. These are steps that all teachers are fully familiar with since teachers have degrees and therefore probably mastered those skills as a means of surviving the demands of college/university assignments.  ELLs often times are not equipped to undertake such assignments because at the high school level, they generally arrive with gaps of several years in their school history.  Does this mean that they can't learn to do this?  Of course not.  They just need regular guided practice across all content areas (and Common Core focuses on this).

Now, what those necessary skills?  This short video clip highlights the WHAT.  It is a starting place in re-evaluating lesson plans covering non-fiction to make sure that ELLs are not left to their own devices  to attempt tasks with which they are unfamiliar.  Once students have enough regular practice in interacting with non-fiction in all their non-elective classes, they will their grades improve and their confidence build in tackling academics in any subject area:)

READING SKILLS FOR NON-FICTION

Denise

ELL TEACHER PROS

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