Reading Instruction And The Common Core Standards

Prior knowledge about reading instruction (either your own or what you’ve see) and the Common Core Standards:

As an education student, I am aware that reading instruction should be based on a child’s developmental stage and instructional level. A teacher needs to be aware of what the child can do independently, with support, and what is above their capabilities at the time. Reading instruction must be formulated to assess multiple aspects of student learning and target specific skills of successful readers. Reading instruction is best done in small groups as it provides a microsystem in which more intensified scaffolding and modeling exist. Reading instruction should also highly reflect student interests. Doing so will make the instruction

From the beginning make it clear to the child that your expectations are high. Having high expectations let’s the student know that you expect them to work hard and succeed. It sets a playing field for accountability and motivation. This instead of having low expectations increases a child’s already budding potential.

Principle 2. Reading and writing are for the purpose of meaning. Instead of drilling or meaningless “word games” the instruction should focus on reading and writing for enjoyment and learning. Comprehension is the master in this quadrant. We want learners to have access to different and varied texts that spark interests and questions. Without comprehension, decoding and fluency are just skills, they aren’t applicable.

Principle 3. The attention of reading skills should be focused on decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. All these aspects are deeply intertwined and if one is lacking then the others will suffer inherently because of this.

Principle 4. Have the child practice successful strategies that all readers to use to both read and understand content. And make sure that they are engaged in

Key concepts from English Language Learners (ELLs):

• The ELL population is projected to rise by 30% by 2015.

• Instead of immersion, emphasis should be put on making sure students are being addressed in both English and their native tongues.

• It is difficult to find bilingual teachers to focus on the development of both languages; so many programs instead focus on the proficiency of one language and ignore the other.

• This instruction isn’t good enough to help a child cope with more complex texts and cultural euphemisms and metaphors within higher texts.

• Authentic practices and student engagement in whole class instruction can be the best way in which these students are both exposed to and practice their skills.

• ELLs are not homogeneous groups of children. They are mixed cultures with different expectations and customs, all of which should be respected rather than stamped out.

What did you learn about The Common Core Standards?

• The common core standards are designed to create real world application in in the classroom in response to the application of these skills in college and careers after