Common Core ELA Strategy Charts

 These are some of the charts that I am using with my students as they become even more acquainted with the Common Core Standards.

 They serve as great reminders and help students understand each standard fully.

Additional Common Core Resources

I use these quick daily Common Core reading passages at the beginning of my lessons.  Use them as a quick 5 minute daily morning review or send them home as Common Core aligned reading homework.  For more information click the link.

Click Here for Grade 3 Week 1

Click Here for Grade 4 Week 1

Click Here for Grade 5 Week 1

Click Here for Grade 6 Week 1

Click Here for Grade 7 Week 1

Click Here for Grade 8 Week 1

Common Core Task Cards for each grade level!  These are great to use in learning centers, for guided reading, and book discussions.  Each grade level covers ALL of the major categories in the Common Core Standards for both the literature (fiction) and informational (nonfiction) sections.  Use them with any book or magazine.  These are great resources for the Common Core Standards.

Common Core Task Cards
There is a task card for EVERY Common Core Literature and Informational Text Standard all in one document.

Click on the link below.
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8

Common Core Rubrics

This document has definitely been a lifesaver for me.  It contains a rubric for EVERY SINGLE Common Core Literature and Informational Text standard.  Before giving the class an assignment to complete, I hand a copy of a rubric to each student and we discuss it.

It helps them stay on track and ensures that their work is always Common Core aligned.  Rubrics for each grade level!  Click the link to access them.

Click Here For Kindergarten
Click Here For Grade 1
Click Here For Grade 2
Click Here For Grade 3
Click Here For Grade 4
Click Here For Grade 5
Click Here For Grade 6
Click Here For Grade 7
Click Here For Grade 8

Free Math Word Problem Strategy Bookmarks

I am back with a fun Common Core freebie!!! Who says that math books can't have bookmarks too!  These free handy bookmarks are great, illustrated reminders about strategies students can use to solve word problems.  They cover the word problem types that are in the Common Core Standards (but with illustrations!) Click the link to access them.  Click Here

Idiom Activity Cards: A Great Tool For Common Core RL.4 and RI.4

These activity cards are a fun way to review idioms.  This is a great way to review Common Core Standards RL.4 and RI.4 through the form of Common Core Reading games. This document contains two activities that include idiom activity cards that provide practice in the context of paragraphs.  The second resource is an idiom matching game.  Both activities are included and they come with printable, easy-fold boxes.

Click Here To Access Them

Free Resource: Teach Students How to Think Critically

Critical thinking is an area that so many students can strengthen.  The Bull’s Eye strategy is a tool that I use with students to help them narrow down test questions and figure out which answer choice is best.  The purpose of the bull’s eye is to make my thinking visible to students and scaffold until they actually use and develop strategies on their own. 

Although ruling out incorrect answers may seem like a simple process to us, so many students struggle with this process when it comes to multiple-choice questions on class work or assessment tests.

How to Prepare

Print the bull’s eye and targets onto regular paper and laminate.  Place Velcro using a similar pattern that I am using.  Place Velcro on the back of the targets.  (Click Here For The Free Template)

What to Say:

Hello students, we are going to learn the Bull’s Eye strategy today.  This is the strategy that I use to answer multiple-choice questions.

Step 1.  Let us look at the bull’s eye I am holding.  Whenever we read a question, our goal is to make sure that our answer matches what is asked in the question and match what is said in the text.  For instance, if someone asked you to tell them where you went after school yesterday, you would not tell them what you ate for breakfast.  I know this is a silly example but when you begin reading and answering questions, it can be tricky to remember what the question asked and text said.  That is why we have to remind ourselves to make sure that our answer actually matches what the question and text say.

Step 2.  Some answers won’t be close to being correct.  Those are the target’s that we will place far away from touching the bull’s eye o the board.

Step 3:  The answers that match will be placed touching the bull’s eye.  Those are the answers that we can actually find details

to support our thinking in the text and actually match what the question is asking us to tell.

Step 4:  We will use the multiple-choice question from our text to practice.  (Use any text)  A is not close to matching so we will attach this way on the edge of the board.

Common Core Daily Morning Reading Practice

Daily Common Core Reading Practice is a unique product because it provides quick, Common Core practice that can be completed in just five minutes a day.  There is a different quick passage for each day of the school week.  The passages cover a variety of genres such as informational text, realistic fiction, folktales, poetry, and more.  All of the Common Core Standards are included.  The Common Core Standard is written next to each question to make to make it easier to determine which standards students understand and which ones require additional practice.  Close reading, multiple choice, and short response questions are included.  The questions are text dependent and are written at different levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. Click a link to view a sample at your grade level.

Click Here For Grade 2

Click Here For Grade 3
Click Here For Grade 4
Click Here For Grade 5
Click Here For Grade 6
Click Here For Grade 7
Click Here For Grade 8
Click Here For High School

Make an Equivalent Fraction Game

When you are a big kid at heart, you will find any reason to make a game.  Equivalent fractions can be tricky for kids.  An equivalent fraction game is a way to make it fun and give students a quick review.  Mental math is popular now especially since it relates to the Common Core Standards.  Students can use their mental math strategies to reduce these fractions in their minds.  After a while, they will be able to memorize them.

Place the answer on the back of the card.

Common Core Aligned Mega Packs

Wow!  It is already 2013.  The Common Core Standards will be fully underway next year.  Do you need classroom-tested, and convenient Common Core resources?  These mega packs are sure to help.  Each mega pack is aligned to the standards of the specific grade level it targets.

Each 160+ page document includes:

• Common Core Aligned ELA Rubrics.  There is a rubric specifically aligned to each Literature and Informational Text Standard.  These are fantastic for guided reading.
• Common Core ELA task cards.  There is a task card for each ELA Literature and Informational Text Standard.  They are great as small group task cards or as a literacy center.
• Common Core Math task cards.  There is a task card for every math standard.  Most are open-ended for convenient reuse.  Use them as the math question of the day or as a Common Core math center.
• Common Core aligned graphic organizers and question answering frames.  These graphic organizers and frames are excellent for helping students answer Common Core questions.  They can be used with any book or magazine.

Click Here For Grade 3

Click Here For Grade 4

Click Here For Grade 5
Click Here For Grade 6
Click Here For Grade 7
Click Here For Grade 8

Advanced Students and the Common Core Standards: What Should You Do?

One of the greatest unanswered questions about Common Core remains.  How do I cover the Common Core Standards and meet the needs of high-ability students at the same time?

The Common Core Standards are relatively silent on this issue, but the concern is very real for many educators.  As an instructional coach that works with below, on-level, and advanced students, this is my world and the reason why I make so many differentiated products - I really need them!  

One resource is the standards themselves.  The general layout of the standards does make differentiating instruction much easier.  The standards provide information about skills that should be covered at each grade level.  Hot Dog With Everything On It is a freebie on the right side of this screen.  It can be used for elaborating about ideas.  This is definitely one way to challenge gifted or advanced students.  They can elaborate in greater detail than the rest of the students in class by providing one or two more details than everyone else.

Below are links to additional products that should make your life soooo much easier.  

Resources That Can Help

Differentiated Math Task Cards: (The link is at the bottom of this post)

• Two levels are in one document!  Level A covers the specific grade level standard.  Level B covers the same topic with greater complexity and covers skills taught at a higher grade level that extend the topic further.
• It is great preparation for COGAT, AIMS, NWEA, and other school assessments.  This provides the exposure to higher grade level topics plus math complexity that is often required on these tests to receive a higher score.
• The cards take the guesswork out of differentiation.  Often, it can be challenging and time consuming to find ways to extended a math lesson for higher-ability students.  (Literacy and Math Ideas' background includes elementary and college math extending up to Calculus 3, Discrete Mathematics, Trigonometry, etc.  We actually enjoy finding the connections between elementary math and higher level algebra and geometry concepts.)

Features of the Differentiated Reading Task Cards(The link is at the bottom of this post)

• Two levels are in one document!  Level A covers the specific grade level standard.  Level B is written at a greater complexity level.  This is to help teach the same skill but at the appropriate readability level.
• Convenient resource to teach the same Common Core standard for different ability levels in one location.  Great time saver.
• It also takes the guesswork out of differentiation.  Students cover the appropriate skill that they need but in a way that meets their own individual reading needs.

Differentiated Resources

Click Here for Grade 3 Differentiated Geometry Standard 3.OA.D.8

Click Here for Grade 4 Differentiated Geometry Standard 4.OA.D.8

Click Here for Differentiated Inference Task Cards

Click Here for Differentiated Theme Task Cards

Click Here for Differentiated Main Idea Task Cards

Click Here To Access It