Key Point to English Language Arts
Reading
- The standards establish a “staircase” of increasing complexity in what
students must be able to read so that all students are ready for the demands of
college- and career-level reading no later than the end of high school. The
standards also require the progressive development of reading comprehension so
that students advancing through the grades are able to gain more from whatever
they read. - Through reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as
well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students are
expected to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden
their perspective. Because the standards are building blocks for successful
classrooms, but recognize that teachers, school districts and states need to
decide on appropriate curriculum, they intentionally do not offer a reading
list. Instead, they offer numerous sample texts to help teachers prepare for
the school year and allow parents and students to know what to expect at the
beginning of the year. - The standards mandate certain critical types of content for all students,
including classic myths and stories from around the world, foundational U.S.
documents, seminal works of American literature, and the writings of
Shakespeare. The standards appropriately defer the many remaining decisions
about what and how to teach to states, districts, and schools.
Writing
- The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound
reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with
opinion writing—a basic form of argument—extending down into the earliest
grades. - Research—both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in
the workplace) and longer term in depth research —is emphasized throughout the
standards but most prominently in the writing strand since a written analysis
and presentation of findings is so often critical. - Annotated samples of student writing accompany the standards and help
establish adequate performance levels in writing arguments,
informational/explanatory texts, and narratives in the various grades.
Speaking and Listening
- The standards require that students gain, evaluate, and present increasingly
complex information, ideas, and evidence through listening and speaking as well
as through media. - An important focus of the speaking and listening standards is academic
discussion in one-on-one, small-group, and whole-class settings. Formal
presentations are one important way such talk occurs, but so is the more
informal discussion that takes place as students collaborate to answer
questions, build understanding, and solve problems.
Language
- The standards expect that students will grow their vocabularies through a
mix of conversations, direct instruction, and reading. The standards will help
students determine word meanings, appreciate the nuances of words, and steadily
expand their repertoire of words and phrases. - The standards help prepare students for real life experience at college and
in 21st century careers. The standards recognize that students must be able to
use formal English in their writing and speaking but that they must also be able
to make informed, skillful choices among the many ways to express themselves
through language. - Vocabulary and conventions are treated in their own strand not because
skills in these areas should be handled in isolation but because their use
extends across reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Media and Technology
Just as media and technology are integrated in school and life in the
twenty-first century, skills related to media use (both critical analysis and
production of media) are integrated throughout the standards.
Link to Common Core Standards website:Resources
- ©2012 Common Core State Standards