Note: Things have been written about the common core from the teachers perspective. In my conversations with friends, they often ask, "So what do you do" and when I start talking about the common core, I have to shift the focus to kids and how they can help as parents. This post that my friend and I are working on is based on several sources (listed at the end) and those conversations. Let me know what you think?
The new K-12 learning standards, the Common Core State Standards are being rolled out in schools today. Parents may hear teachers talk about the standards in terms of “fewer”, “deeper”, “further”. On the surface, things may not appear to be that different. It is necessary to look again. Even though, these standards have similar concepts and features of current standards, they represent a significant shift from current practice in a number of areas. These are nine shifts that Parents should know about, so they can be informed and help their student be successful.
In English Language Arts
1. More Non-fiction: Read as much non-fiction as fiction. Once out of school, most people read mainly non-fiction. It can be in the form of news articles, social media or for work. In school, students will now be asked to read about half non-fiction in elementary and up to 75 percent in high school. They will need to be able to identify and discuss details. Parents can support this by reading and talking about non-fiction with their children. This is different for each family because of the family interests. For some, it might be following the StormChaser Reed Timmer on social media (Facebook and Twitter) to read about his adventures that are not shown on the show. For other families, it might be reading about “The Monster Inside Me” from the Animal Planet TV network to find out more information about the bacteria in foods today. When parents share the reading that they do for their career, this might help students better understand their parent’s job.
2. Focus on Evidence: Discuss reading and writing using evidence. In reading language arts, students will need to use evidence and details to demonstrate they understand and comprehend what they read. In their writing, they will need to document and back up their writing with document. There are tools available now that can verify authors for teachers like turnitin.com. Google Scholar can help students do research and document their sources not only from the web but also from sources like abstracts, books and published articles. Parents can help their child with this by asking for details and encouraging their child to share backup evidence, “How do you know?”
3. Climb the “Staircase” of Text Complexity: Read more complex material carefully. Students will also read and comprehend or understand increasingly complex information. This will help prepare them for success once they get out of school. Parents can assist students by sharing what they have to read in their workplace along with the complexity level. Tools found in Microsoft Word or online at http://www.editcentral.com/ can measure text complexity. For example, this post is scored 8.9 grade level and Reed Timmer’s Facebook page is scored a 3.9 grade level.
4. Speaking and Listening: Increase academic vocabulary in Speaking and Listening. Students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they can speak and listen effectively using vocabulary they will eventually use in college and their career. Parents who read often to their children from the time they were babies will find that this ordinary activity brings positive results. When parents read(and reread) books on the same topic it will help develop the language in their children. It may sound straightforward, but Marylin Jager Adams makes these two points. 1. What is written is much more complex than what we say. And 2. The more children read about a topic, the more they can read about that topic.
5.Literacy in the Content Areas: learn more about the world by reading in all content areas. Students will not just read and write in their “English” class. They will read and write in history/social science, science, and technical classes. From their workplace experiences, parents can share how they use their reading and writing skills to do their job. Parents can also help their student find books that explain, from historical documents to books on hobbies the family shares.
In Mathematics
6. Greater Focus: Learn more about less. Students will spend more time on fewer concepts to truly expand their understanding. They will build on what they learned the previous year. Parents should familiarize themselves with the Key ideas that students will learn at each grade level to ensure that their student is on track. Talking with the student’s teacher will help them identify these key ideas. Teachers can share how they now will be able to concentrate on the most important topics, like number sense, in depth so that students develop a real understanding of them and are then able to move on to more advanced topics that apply it in a practical setting.
7. Coherence: Skills across grades. Unlike in the past when students covered the same topics year after year, students will now be introduced to new topics each year. They will need to be able to learn the content and skills as they move to advanced topics. For example, a seventh grader will gain an understanding of ratio and proportion and apply it by calculating interest. This concept is related to their prior understanding of equations. Parents can help their child by talking with them about the concepts they struggled with to help them understand how it will affect the learning the next year. Help them talk to their teacher so they can get the assistance they need to fill in the “gaps” and not fall behind.
8. Skills, Understanding, and Application: Real World Problem Solving. Students will need to be fluent in problem solving, develop a thorough understanding of math concepts, and be able to solve problems. Parents can have their students “do” the math that comes up in the family or play games like “Math in real life” where the student tries to find an aspect of life that does not include math. For example, parents can share that grocery shopping involves calculations to see which brand is the best deal or families can play the “Guess the total” game where each person keeps a running total in their head and the closest to the actual total wins and gets a Snickers bar. This will help ensure that children (and young adults) think about Math in real life.
9. Emphasis on Practices: Know it/Do it. From Kindergarten through High School, students will encounter eight standards of math practice that will help them understand, discuss and prove why math works the way it works. This includes making sense of problems and persevering to solve them, reasoning abstractly and quantitatively, using appropriate tools strategically, and constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others. These practices are integrated with the standards for mathematical content. Students will be allocated more time to work on problems rather than expect them to come up with solutions instantaneously. Or students will have a variety of tools—rulers and calculators, for example—and be asked to choose the one that best fits the problem rather than requiring them to choose a tool in advance. If a child can communicate with their parent why the answer is what it is, that will let the parent know they have mastered the topic. By setting aside time at home for children to work hard on math, parents can also become more aware of what their child needs to know.
A significant amount of resources in the form of time, effort, and funding is being allocated to schools as they prepare for these shifts. These may not seem “different”. After all, the goal of the common core state standards is to prepare students for success after High school in their career. That has always been the goal, right? However, for true success all stakeholders – teachers, students and parents – need to understand these shifts and how they are different.
Resources
"NineWays the Common Core Will Change Classroom Practice." 2012. 15 Feb. 2013<http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/543>
"Common Core Shifts | Engage NY." 2011. 15 Feb. 2013 <http://engageny.org/resource/common-core-shifts>
“Google Scholar." 2004. 15 Feb. 2013 <http://scholar.google.com/>
Adams, Marilyn Jager. "Advancing Our Students’ Language and Literacy." American Educator (2010).
