1. GETTING READY FOR THE CCSS GRADES K-5 David Liben and Rachel Etienne Student Achievement Partners dliben@studentsachieve.net retienne@studentsachieve.net www.achievethecore.org dliben@studentsachieve.net retienne@studentsachieve.net www.achievethecore.org

2. STRUCTURE OF THE STANDARDS Anchor Standards Grade Level Standards Anchor Standards Grade Level Standards

3. COMMON CORE INSTRUCTIONAL SHIFTS FOR ELA/LITERACY Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary

4. TEXT COMPLEXITY Most significant - it affects everything else How can we prepare students for increased levels of complexity? First need to know what text complexity is Most significant - it affects everything else How can we prepare students for increased levels of complexity? First need to know what text complexity is

5. TEXT COMPLEXITY DETERMINED QUALITATIVELY Excellent for professional development Important not to ignore in favor of quantitative measures Excellent for professional development Important not to ignore in favor of quantitative measures

6. TEXT COMPLEXITY DETERMINED QUANTITATIVELY “Measures of Text Difficulty” Nelson, Perfetti, Liben and Liben (in press) Choosing texts using a variety of measures “Measures of Text Difficulty” Nelson, Perfetti, Liben and Liben (in press) Choosing texts using a variety of measures

7. WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY? How this was determined The features that determine text complexity are very uneven, and not equally important, in their effect on text difficulty How this was determined The features that determine text complexity are very uneven, and not equally important, in their effect on text difficulty

8. IMPLICATIONS ACT Study points out role of complexity in determining student performance Nelson et al study reveals that the features of complexity most predictive of student performance are vocabulary and syntax

9. EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF “MEASURES OF TEXT DIFFICULTY” Need to address syntax throughout school Need to think of school-wide (district-wide?) coherent, intensive and systematic vocabulary program. Must include both word study and volume of reading Vocabulary and background knowledge connection Need to address syntax throughout school Need to think of school-wide (district-wide?) coherent, intensive and systematic vocabulary program. Must include both word study and volume of reading Vocabulary and background knowledge connection

10. VOCABULARY AND SYNTAX NOT ENOUGH Need regular exposure to rich complex text “The Making of a Scientist” by Richard Feynman (upper elementary) Bats on the Beach by Brian Lies (K-2 read aloud) Need regular exposure to rich complex text “The Making of a Scientist” by Richard Feynman (upper elementary) Bats on the Beach by Brian Lies (K-2 read aloud)

11. QUESTIONS How does this compare to current materials How do you think students will do with this type of task How do you think teachers will do with this type of task Implications for training Any other thoughts or questions

12. HOW CAN WE BE SURE MATERIALS ARE OPTIMAL FOR OUR PURPOSES?

13. HOW TO IMPLEMENT CLOSE READING?