English Language Arts/LiteracySix Instructional Shifts

FOCUS ON SHIFT ONE

An instructional shift is the transition from present work based on the California State Standards to the Common Core State Standards.

There are six (6) instructional shifts that the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts/Literacy requires of us if we are to be truly aligned in terms of curricular materials and classroom instruction.

Six Instructional Shifts:English Language

Arts/LiteracyShift 1: Balancing Informational and Literary Text

Shift 2: Knowledge in the Disciplines

Shift 3: Staircase of Complexity

Shift 4: Text-based Answers

Shift 5: Writing from Sources

Shift 6: Academic Vocabulary

• Students should read a true balance of informational and literary texts.

• Students should access the world—science, social studies, the arts, literature—through text.

Grade Levels Informational Text

Literature

K-4 50% 50%

5-8 55% 45%

9-12 70% 30%

“80% of text adults encounter in college and career is informational, 80% of text students encounter in school is literary.” (National Geographic School Publishing 2013)

Informational texts have a variety of formats, most of which differ from literary texts.

Informational texts have different structures requiring different reading strategies.

Informational texts and literary text are written and read for different purposes.

Use the cards at your table to complete the sort!

Literary Informational

What the Student Does…

What the Teacher Does…

What the Principal Does…

•Build background knowledge and exposure to the world through reading

•Apply strategies to reading informational text

•Provide students equal #s of informational and literary texts

•Teach strategies for informational texts

•Teach “through” and “with” informational texts

•Scaffold for the difficulties that informational text present to students

•Ask students, “What is connected here? How does this fit together? What details tell you that?”

•Consider and inventory of informational text in your building.

•Provide equal amounts of informational and literacy text to students

•Ensure teacher accountability for building student content knowledge through text

•Provide opportunities for PD and collaboration for teachers to become more familiar with informational texts

Shift 1:

Balance of Literature

and

Informational Text

“ If we include more informational text in early schooling, we put children in a better position to handle the reading and writing demands of their later schooling. We would like to see a day when children “read to learn” and “learn to read” from the earliest days of schools and throughout their school careers.”

- Nell Duke

1. What challenges will we face as we implement Instructional Shift 1?

2. What are the implications for the classroom/school as we implement Instructional Shift 1?

http://vimeo.com/27074227 (K-5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7yQk6a501s&feature=c4-overview-

vl&list=PL913348FFD75155C6 (K-5)

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=videos+teaching+nonfiction&FORM=VIRE13#view=detail&mid=C1203F7605214E722151C1203

F7605214E722151 (6-12)