As we continue to work in our PLC groups, I'm amazed at the work each team has done! We have taken the Iowa Core and thoroughly dissected each English Language Arts Standard. As a result of our work, teams have asked me several tough questions. I have been on a search for answers. I also wanted a better understanding of the Core. I believe research says we must hear something 18-21 times before it becomes knowledge in a our long term memory. Several sites that I have found helpful:
www.achievethecore.org and Common Core State Standards Initiative and The Iowa Core homepage
How does the Core help me as a teacher?
The standards provide student learning goals and benchmarks for achieving certain skills & knowledge by the end of the year.
It allows each school district to develop and provide better assessments that more accurately measure whether or not students are learning what was taught.
The standards guide teachers toward choosing better curricula and teaching strategies that will give students a deep understanding of the subject and skills they need to apply their knowledge.
WOW! Look at the work we have done to align with these core standards in regards to literacy.
(Reading-Writing-Speaking-Listening-Language Arts)
- Literacy Non-Negotiable Document
- Workshop Model-Grandual Release Theory
- Leveled Readers (BSA benchmark assessment kits) Students reading at their level everyday to build stamina!
- Making Meaning with Vocabulary & IDR
- Being a Writer-Units of Study ...Students writing every day!
- Differentiation, Small Group Work
This perfectly aligns with the Core !
How can we possibly assess all of these standards? We are doing all of this work but how soon will it be forgotten? ( reality of teacher's feelings or frustrations)
STOP!! I truly believe this work we are doing will be here for a long time. We are going to keep improving and getting better at developing our assessments and curriculum. What we must remember is much of this assessment is going to take place by observation, checklist and performance based.
We will model many of the reading skills through lessons and teachers will be assessing through conferring, small groups and discussions during turn & talk. Our curriculum and beliefs allow this to happen. (Gradual Release, IDR, Making Meaning)
We have to let go that every assessment for every child will be a cookie cutter assessment. Think of all the great graphic organizers that will work or the fabulous checklist we are developing using Google Forms. Most of the time it will NOT be assessed WHOLE group. We will truly be teaching and assessing at the child's level through IDR, small groups and strategy groups. This is an entirely new thought for most of us. I am thankful we studied Formative Assessment for two years & don't forget our study with Richard Marzano's research. Look through these text again when needing ideas as your team develops assessments.
Rubrics will be vital as many readers will not be at grade level but will be able to perform the comprehension strategy with a text at their level. (1 below level, 2 at grade level, 3 above grade level) To be at grade level a student must be reading grade level text as our district has adopted the Fountas & Pinnell text gradient system. ONLY Kindergarten assessments will be based on the child's listening comprehension as most of these students will be entering a beginning reading stage.
Think back to the years teaching with a Basal and everyone reading the same text. Did you know each reader? Could you answer a parent's question of "What do you know about my child as a reader"?
Why do we need to teach text deeper? What is close reading? Why do we need to teach using far more non-fiction and SHORTER text with students?
We must be able to model and have students practice comprehension strategies at a quicker pace than with 125 page chapter books each week. It takes students many days and even weeks to finish long text.
Articles, non-fiction text excerpts, portions of content textbooks, poetry, famous speeches or documents and rich picture books are so important! The students need to be using reading skills and comprehension strategies each week with text that can be read and re-read in a day or two span. This allows gradual release...I will do it, We will do it together, You will do it! The students must have successful practice before they can go off and do it successfully and independently. Long text will not allow this gradual release to happen. (During IDR they can still read their choice chapter books but this can not be the only reading material)
I found a powerful article that made this so clear to me. Please take time to read it! I think it will help you understand why we need the gradual release model and most importantly teaching with shorter text and non-fiction text. I also believe it helps me to understand our Making Meaning IDR scripted activities and questions.
I am proud to be able to say our elemenatry teachers are experts in literacy. We must persevere! We have much work to finish and we know we will be adjusting our thinking and documents created along the way.
Happy Reading! Mrs. Speake
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