1. At-A-Glance: 32 Common Core Anchor Standards for Literacy (grades 3-12) Reading:Writing:Speaking/ListeningLanguage Key Ideas & Details: 1.Read closely. 2.Track themes & summarize main ideas. 3. Understand and follow progressions. Craft and Structure: 4. Know what words & phrases mean in context. 5. Analyze how the details contribute to each other and to the overall meaning. 6. Assess how point of view or purpose affects meaning. Integration of Knowledge & Ideas : 7. Understand charts, graphs, and other numerical representations. 8. Judge the validity of an argument, based on the language used. 9. Compare texts on the same subject. 10 Comprehend complex text independently. Types & Purposes: 1.Write arguments. 2.Write informative/ explanatory texts 3. Write narratives. 4.Match your style to the expectations of your audience. 5. Use the writing process 6. Use technology as a collaborative tool. 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects. 8. Gather information from multiple sources. Judge the credibility of the sources. 9. Use both literary and informational texts to support, inform, and enrich your claims Production & Distribution: Research : 10. Write routinely; both formally and informally; write polished pieces and on-demand; write to express knowledge and to formulate it. Revise, proofread, edit. Comprehension & Collaboration: 1.Develop socially appropriate conversational skills. 2. Verbally summarize information that you’ve heard, read, or seen. 3. Assess the credibility of what you read and hear, based on the language used. 4. Present meaningful ideas and information coherently and courteously. 5. Enhance formal presentations with visuals, including digital media. 6. Know the rules of formal spoken English and apply them when appropriate to the audience. Presentation of Ideas and Knowledge: : Knowledge of Language: 1.Know the rules of formal standard written and spoken English and apply them when your audience expects you to do so. Accurately perceive the circumstances when your audience expects you to use a formal language tone. 2. The above includes the visuals of writing: spelling, capitalization, punctuation. 3. Understand that language is a changing social contract. Make effective choices. Expand your understanding of the language choices of others. 4. Figure out what new words & phrases mean using context, word parts, dictionaries, a 5. Understand that words can be nuanced and can have multiple meanings. 6. Understand and use an academic/businesslike level of language. Vocabulary Acquisition and Use:

2. Text Complexity Guideline Source: Adapted from Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading. Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Diane Lapp. International Reading Association. Most Challenging : Levels of Meaning Moderately Challenging: : Figurative language Features: Single but complex or abstract meaning; reader expected to infer from implications to some extent Stated and repeated explicitly Language is straightfoward; negligible amount of figurative language Single and literal meaning; meaning is explicitly stated and signalled (headings, etc.) Least Challenging : Figurative language used to some extent; symbols are obvious and/or explained by the author (ex: blackness for death or despair) Purpose Implied but fairly easily identified based on the title or context Unfamiliar to the reader; has specific hallmarks that reader does not recognize Somewhat unfamiliar to the reader, or easily accessible anyway Organization Familiar to the reader and consistent with reader expectations Linear, chronological, limited settings; single narrator Third person omniscient or authoritative, credible source of the information Almost entirely common words, simple or easily comprehensible sentences Narration Goes back and forth in time; withholds chronological information multiple narrators & settings Genre/ Sub-genre (ex: sci fi) Multiple rare words on every page; pre-20C language style and unfamiliar nouns; long, complicated syntax Unreliable first person and/or multiple narrators; reader is expected to question the narrator’s credibility Vocabulary and Language style Multiple layers of meaning; purposeful ambiguity; multiple interpretations possible Metaphor, irony, allusion, symbolism play a significant part in comprehension Deliberately withheld from the reader; reader has to use interpretative skills to identify it May be non-linear or have two narrators or multiple settings, but these are cleary signalled Third person narration reader given substantial information about the narrator’s point of view Not an overwhelming number of rare words; modern style, familiar nouns; straightforward syntax

3. The Academic Word List (AWL): Background: The Academic Word List consists of 570 word families that are not in the most frequent 2,000 words of English but which occur frequently over a very wide range of academic texts. These 570 word families are grouped into ten subsets that reflect word frequency. A word like analyze falls into Subset 1, which contains the most frequent words, while the word adjacent falls into Subset 10 which includes the least frequent (among this list of high incidence words). The AWL is not restricted to a specific field of study. That means that the words are useful for learners studying in disciplines as varied as literature, science, health, business, and law. This high-utility academic word list does not contain technical words likely to appear in one, specific field of study such as amortization, petroglyph, onomatopoeia, or cartilage. Two-thirds of all academic English derive from Latin or Greek. Understandably, knowledge of the most high-incidence academic words in English can significantly boost a student’s comprehension level of school-based reading material. Students who are taught these high-utility academic words and routinely placed in contexts requiring their usage are likely to be able to master academic material with more confidence and efficiency, wasting less time and energy in guessing words or consulting dictionaries than those who are only equipped with the most basic 2000-3000 words that characterize ordinary conversation. The following link gives you a two-page version of the list: http://www.doe.in.gov/TitleI/pdf/Word_List_Feldman.pdf Source: Coxhead, Averil. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 213-238.

4. Academic Word List: Subset 1 analyze approach area assess assume authority available benefit concept consist context constitute contract data define derive distribute economy environment establish estimate evident factor finance formula function income indicate individual interpret involve issue labor legal legislate major method percent period principle proceed process policy require research respond role section sector significant similar source specific structure theory vary Academic Word List: Subset 2 achieve acquire administrate affect appropriate aspect assist category chapter commission community complex compute conclude conduct consequent construct consume credit culture design distinct equate element evaluate feature final focus impact injure institute invest item journal maintain normal obtain participate perceive positive potential previous primary purchase range region regulate regulate relevant reside resource restrict secure seek select site strategy survey tradition transfer

5. Academic Word List: Subset 3 alternative circumstance comment compensate component consent considerable constant constrain contribute convene coordinate core corporate correspond criteria deduce demonstrate document dominate emphasis ensure exclude fund framework illustrate immigrate imply initial instance interact justify layer link maximize negate outcome philosophy physical proportion publish react register rely scheme sequence shift specify sufficient technical technique valid volume Academic Word List: Subset 4 access adequacy annual apparent approximate attitude attribute civil code commit concentrate confer contrast cycle debate despite dimension domestic emerge ethnic grant hence hypothesis implement implicate impose integrate internal investigate mechanism occupy option output overall parallel parameter phrase prior principal professional project promote regime resolve retain series statistic status stress subsequent undertake

6. Academic Word List: Subset 5 academy adjust alter amend capacity clause compound consult decline discrete enable energy enforce entity equivalent evolve expand expose external facilitate fundamental generate liberal license logic margin modify monitor network notion objective orient perspective precise prime psychology pursue ratio reject revenue stable style substitute sustain symbol target transit trend version welfare whereas Academic Word List: Subset 6 abstract acknowledge accuracy aggregate allocate assign bond capable cite cooperate discriminate display diverse domain edit enhance estate exceed explicit federal fee flexible furthermore gender incentive incorporate incidence index inhibit initiate input interval mitigate minimum ministry motive neutral nevertheless overseas precede presume rational recover reveal scope subsidy trace transform underlie utilize

7. Academic Word List: Subset 7 adapt advocate channel classic comprehensive comprise confirm contrary convert decade deny differentiate dispose dynamic equip eliminate empirical extract finite foundation gradient guarantee hierarchy identical ideology infer innovate insert intervene isolate media mode paradigm phenomenon priority prohibit publication quote release reverse simulate sole somewhat submit successor thesis transmit ultimate unique voluntary Academic Word List: Subset 8 abandon accompany accumulate ambiguous appendix appreciate arbitrary automate bias chart clarify commodity complement conform contemporary contradict crucial currency denote detect deviate displace eventual exhibit exploit fluctuate guideline implicit induce inevitable infrastructure inspect intense manipulate minimize nuclear offset predominant prospect radical reinforce restore revise tension terminate theme thereby uniform vehicle via virtual widespread

8. Academic Word List: Subset 9 accommodate analogy anticipate assure attain behalf cease coherent coincide commence compatible concurrent confine controversy converse device devote diminish distort duration erode ethic found format inherent insight integral intermediate manual mature mediate medium military minimal mutual norm overlap passive portion preliminary protocol qualitative refine restrain revolution rigid route scenario sphere subordinate supplement suspend trigger unify violate Academic Word List: Subset 10 adjacent albeit assemble collapse colleague compile conceive convince depress encounter forthcoming incline integrity intrinsic invoke levy likewise nonetheless notwithstanding ongoing panel persist pose reluctance so-called straightforward undergo whereby

9. Close (analytical) Reading : Generic Questions for Informational Text: (In alphabetical order) Main Idea: Is the main idea stated explicitly, or is it implied? Is it stated once only, or more than once? Other “ingredients” (aka details) 1.Anecdotes: Are there little “side stories” involving people that the author includes to illustrate the main idea? 2. Cause/effect statements: What, if any, statements in the text answer the question “Why?” 3. Comparison/contrast: What things, if any, are being compared and contrasted? What are the similarities and differences between these things? 4. Descriptions: Are there any detailed descriptions in the text? Of what? What words allow you to visualize the thing described? 5. Embedded Definitions: What, if any, words or phrases are defined within the text? 6. Examples: What, if any, examples, are given in the text? Examples for what?

10. Close (analytical) Reading : 7. Metaphor: Are there metaphors? If so, what do they mean? 10. Vocabulary: Are there any key words in the text that are used in an unfamiliar or unusual way? Does the reader have to “recalculate” the meaning of any key words? 8. Organization: What organizational system does the author use? Chronological? Spatial? Order of importance? Story? Classification? 9. Pronoun Antecedents: Do we know the referents of all of the pronouns? 6. Examples: What, if any, examples, are given in the text? Examples for what?