I don’t know about you, but I can get really overwhelmed by all of the Common Core NOISE that I hear!
“Use this”
“No, don’t use that”
“Incorporate the Standards as you go.
“This is just teaching deeper.”
“We already do this so it’s not a big change.”
“Teach more informational text.”
“Teach strategies across the curriculum.”
“The Standards are on their way out so don’t change a thing.”
…and on…and on…
UGH! It’s too much! The Common Core noise is deafening!
Meanwhile, I’m stuck trying to figure out how I teach these Standards and I have few real, doable answers!
One trick I use to stay focused and avoid the overwhelm when trying something new is to follow a simple, straightforward plan and ignore everything else. Yep – ignore it. You and I are much better off doing a couple of things really well then 100 things really poorly. Our students will be better off, too!
In an effort to STOP THE COMMON CORE NOISE and get myself to the point where I feel CONFIDENT in implementing the Core Standards, I created a simple 30-day calendar of text-dependent question frames. This is the exact calendar that I use as I lesson plan.
Text dependent questions (and kids’ ability to answer them completely) underpin 80%+ of the Common Core Standards, so biting off text dependent questions right now is a really big chunk in teaching the Standards successfully.
Here’s what my Text Dependent calendar looks like:
How do I use it?
- Step 1: Download the calendar (you can grab yours below for free!)
- Step 2: Add the dates to fit your current teaching days
- Step 3: Each day as you lesson plan, use the question fill-ins for whatever text you’re using (I tend to use the question form twice in one day to give kids more practice on that type of text dependent questions)
- Step 4: Repeat everyday throw Day 30…and then go back and use the calendar again!
Using this calendar for 30 Days of Text Dependent Questions will teach your students to:
- Root their responses in the text they’re reading
- Rely upon their ‘close reading’ skills in their responses
- Move beyond simple recall to deep analysis of text
- Continually refer to what they’ve read, not just background or outside sources
- Read and manage increasingly difficult pieces of text
The planning is DONE FOR YOU! Grab your copy of the exact same planner that I use while I read ANY text.
POWER THROUGH YOUR PLANNING by downloading your FREE Quick-Start Guide right away!