CCSS Shifts

In my last post, I talked about the CCSS Literacy Standards for all subjects. There are six shifts that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in ELA & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects require of us if we are to be truly aligned with the CCSS in terms of curricular materials and classroom instruction. They include the following shifts in curriculum and teaching:

• Increase reading of informational text: to prepare students for reading in college and career-ready texts
• Text complexity: growth in text complexity of reading in the classroom through methods such as close reading more challenging material
• Academic vocabulary: helping students to understand the vocabulary knowledge that is required to be able to read and comprehend complex texts
• Text-based answers: teachers will need to expect answers that are supported by evidence in the text instead of solely on experience 
• Increase writing from sources: using evidence to inform or make an argument that is a skill necessary for college
• Literacy instruction in all content areas: using domain-specific texts to support the literacy development of students