Strategies for Teaching Common Core Standard 10: Text Complexity

The Common Core Standards are just around the corner.  If you worried, please don't be.  There are several things that can be done to make the transition even easier.  

As a K-8th grade instructional coach my job is to fully understand the Common Core Standards.  But my life mission is to make it fun too!  This post will focus on Common Core Standard 10 and tips that you can use to address this standard.

Common Core Standard 10 for both literature and informational texts involves text complexity.  The goal is that students are reading at a much higher level by the end of the school year.  The general expectation is one year's growth.  Below are classroom-tested strategies that have helped my students make over a years growth in just six months.

Strategies

• At the intermediate grade levels (4th-5th), incorporate five minutes of read-alouds each day that are at a higher reading level.  For example, read part of an article from Smithsonian magazine or National Geographic together with the students.  The readability levels are high with these magazines.  Many of the topics in these magazines can be connected to social studies or science current events.
• Read slightly higher level books as read-alouds with primary grade level students.  Hoot is a great book.  The constant exposure to vocabulary is a great vocabulary booster.
• Carefully monitor the book levels of the books that students are reading.  Ensure students are gradually reading books at a higher reading level as the school year progresses.

Differentiated Common Core Aligned Resources

Theme Task Cards

Differentiated Inference Task Cards

Common Core Rubrics