HOW TO INCREASE YOUR STUDENTS COMMON CORE READING SKILLS AT HOME

The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy reflect the skills and knowledge students will need to succeed in school, career, and life. The following are key components of the common core skills needed to develop excellent reading and writing skills.

1. Increase vocabulary and text complexity in a planned progression

The standards call for students to grow their vocabularies through a mix of conversation, direct instruction, and reading. They ask students to determine word meanings, appreciate the nuances of words, and steadily expand their range of words and phrases.

2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from texts, both literary and informational.

The reading standards focus on students ability to read carefully and grasp information, arguments, ideas, and details based on evidence in the text. Students should be able to answer a range of text-dependent questions, whose answers require inferences based on careful attention to the text.

3. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction

Informational texts play an important part in building students content knowledge.

In K-5, fulfilling the standards requires a 50-50 balance between informational and literary reading. Informational reading includes content-rich nonfiction in history/social studies, sciences, technical studies, and the arts.

In grades 6-12, there is much greater attention on the specific category of literary nonfiction, which is a shift from traditional standards.

Some ways to help your child continue to grow their reading skills, particularly during this period of remote learning.

1. Find common core vocab lists for each age level and work with you child independently to increase their vocabulary understanding and usage.

There are many free sources available via the internet to obtain lists. For grades K-6 Club Z would also recommend looking at Learning A-Z’s program https://www.learninga-z.com/. It has leveled reading, vocabulary and writing modules that follow common core.

2. Have your child select a book from a suggested reading list and get a guided reading program book to develop their comprehension and writing skills.

Here again there are many internet sites that have list of age and level appropriate books that will help develop critical reading. You can usually buy a guided teaching program for the better regarded books

A few sites that might be helpful for finding appropriate books.

- https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews

- https://www.goodreads.com

- https://www.greatschools.org

3. Engage with your child (as age appropriate) about current events to both increase general knowledge but also develop critical thinking skills through conversation.

There are several kid-based information sites that feature age-appropriate information on current events. Pick one each day or week and plan a short informal discussion about it as a family.

A few sites that might be helpful

- https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/

- https://www.dogonews.com/

Club Z also offers a complete 8-12-week guided reading program for all grade 3-12.