Tracing Elements through the Common Core

As we worked in groups tracing one element through the Common Core it was interesting to see how the element developed greater depth grade by grade. It was eye opening to see where we are starting and where we are headed. The Common Core assessments are going to be very different in their focus on depth, complexity, and performance. It certainly will take a lot of rigor to get us there. To deliver the level of instruction necessary to prepare students it is essential to take in the big picture.

As in Bloom’s Taxonomy it’s all in the verbs. The DOK training was in my opinion very similar. DOK levels describe the level of complexity of thinking involved in completing a task. Webb took all the verbs and objectives from Bloom’s and ordered them into 4 levels of complexity to guide planning and instructional practices and increase rigor.

Our team focused on the verbs or rather the student’s expected abilities as we traced the element. It’s always good to be able to talk things through with peers. We have such intelligent people with keen insight and perspectives in our class. The activity could have only been improved upon with more time and perhaps smaller groups.

BLT

Didn’t want anyone to think my colleagues and I have been using the BLT. I obviously did not know what the BLT was. Well, I learned something new. Six years ago when I started teaching I was handed a lime green binder in big bold letters on the spine it said BLT. Apparently the guts had been taken out and the binder reused to store running records materials. With all the acronyms in teaching it could just as well have been the SRA running records for all I knew. Please forgive my ignorance. I wouldn’t want it to reflection poorly on my school or colleagues.

Domain Reading vs. Content Reading

Domain reading is the broader base of knowledge that is acquired through experiences with text, the basic act of reading. Content reading is reading for information in a specific subject area (ex. Math, science, social studies...). It requires the more deliberate actions of deciphering content are text. A student must know how the text for a particular subject is organized and how to pick out the important or useful aspects of it. Along with understanding the layout and organization which could also include the reading of tables, graphs, maps and the purpose for the given graphics.

With the new Common Core requirements the old adage of “I’m not a reading teacher” is going out the window, as it should. Teaching in the continent areas logically would include the more specific skills of deciphering the CONTENT (vocabulary, organization, comprehension, tables, graphs…) of the text used and not just the ability to decode words. Content knowledge by itself is different from the pedagogical knowledge required to teach a subject.

Definition of a non-reader

A non- reader is an individual who has not learned the necessary skills needed to read and comprehend. These skills include phonemic awareness, decoding skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency. A non reader is often seen as a behavior problem in the classroom due to their frustration and lack of success in school. Basically they will do whatever distracting behavior necessary to avoid the problem of illiteracy. If their reading deficiency is properly diagnosed and instruction is provided for focused and specific purposes a student will learn to read. Thus restoring self esteem and obtaining a necessary lifelong skill. There is no greater goal in teaching.

Teaching reading is my very favorite part of teaching in kindergarten. When I see those smiles and the “light bulb goes on” and a child surprises themselves by reading for the very first time, it is absolutely priceless. I get to say YES you did it all by yourself, YOU ARE A READER!!