CCRS for Writing in K - 5

CCRS for Writingin K - 5Alabama Reading InitiativeMEGA Conference 2013Insomniacs: What keeps you awake at night when transitioning to the new College and Career Ready Standards?

2Outcomes:Participants will . . .Gain a deeper understanding of how the key shift, reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational, supports the implementation of the standards (K-5). Clarify their understanding of what the standards look like in practice (K-5).

Three Key Shifts in ELABuilding knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational textsReading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informationalRegular practice with complex text and its academic language4What is writing from sources?Analytical writing tied to literary and informational texts; writing in response to texts; writing about texts.Students analyze the text, make valid claims about the text, and support those claims with evidence from the text.Writing arguments and informational reports from sources.Generating reports from research; writing from multiple sources.

Explain that writing from sources includes familiar writing tasks such as literary analysis and research projects.For instance, the facilitator might say,Writing from sources is, in general, analytical writing in response to literary and informational texts. This might be writing an opinion about a book, an analysis of a storys characters, or writing an informational piece from social studies or science texts.So, in addition to asking students questions they can answer from their prior knowledge or experience, beginning even in kindergarten the standards expect students to begin (with guidance and support from adults) gathering information from sources to answer questions.

5The Reading Writing Connectionwriting is treated as an equal partner to reading, and more than this, writing is assumed to be the vehicle through which a great deal of the reading work and assessments will occur.

Pathways to the Common Core, pg. 102

Read this statement as it relates to our new standards and the emphasis that is placed on students becoming more proficient in writing. How does the reading writing connection relate to writing from sources?Share your thoughts with a partner.

6Did you know?Of all the instructional approaches to connecting reading and writing studied so far, writing about text has been the most successful as an avenue to improving reading achievement, and such integrated approaches have been valuable in stimulating higher quality writing outcomes too.

Dr. Timothy Shanahan, University of Illinois at ChicagoChew on thisBeing able to write well is also an essential skill for college and career readiness, which is why the common core gives it so much attention. According to David Conley (2007), if we could institute only one change to make students more college ready, it should be to increase the amount and quality of writing students are expected to produce.

Turn and Talk: What about this mooves you?

Investigating CCR Anchor Standards for WritingPart A:Read the CCR Writing Anchor stands for grades K-5 on page 18 (handout #1).Discuss the major concepts in each CCR category.Complete the chart provided with you thinking. Part B:Read the paragraph (Range and Content of Student Writing) in italics on the right of page 18.Highlight key words and phrases.Discuss your thinking about range and content of text with your table partners, and make notes below the chart. Handouts 1 & 2.10 What is the instructional shift in writing? Increased emphasis onAnalysis of individual textsArgument and evidenceInformative/explanatory writingFrequent short, focused research projectsComparison and synthesis of multiple sourcesDecreased emphasis onNarrative, especially personal narrativeWriting in response to decontextualized prompts

Explain that one of the instructional shifts required by the Common Core State Standards will be a shift toward more class time and student writing being devoted to argument and informative writing that derives its content from texts, both in ELA as well as the content areas. This includes analyses of individual texts as well as research projects.This is balanced by a corresponding decrease in the class time and student writing being devoted to narrative writing, especially the personal narrative, as well as writing in response to decontextualized prompts.For instance, the facilitator might say, One of the significant shifts in implementing the CCSS will be in the proportion of class time and student writing being devoted to various types of writing in ELA as well as the content areas. The CCSS increasingly emphasizes argument and informative writing over narrative writing as students progress through the grades. Further, it emphasizes the type of argument and informative writing that is tied closely to texts, deriving its content from the texts. Logical arguments are supported with evidence from texts; explanations are developed with evidence from texts. This is balanced by a decrease, as students progress through the grades, in the amount of time spent writing narratives, especially personal narratives such as the familiar Write about a time you experienced . It also de-emphasizes the use of decontextualized prompts that require no reference to texts prompts such as Explain your concept of what makes a hero, or What does freedom mean to you?11Balance of Student Writing Parallels NAEP

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Explain that the Common Core State Standards require that the balance of writing students are asked to do parallels the balance assessed on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).For instance, the facilitator might say,The Common Core State Standards ask students to write an increasing proportion of arguments and informational reports from sources as they progress through the grades. Consequently, less classroom time is spent in later grades on personal writing that asks students to detail personal experiences or opinions. The balance of types of writing students are asked to do should parallel the balance assessed on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).So, by the time students are in high school, analytical writing (writing to argue and explain) has increased from 65% to 80% of their writing experience. We recognize, of course, that these forms of writing are not strictly independent; for example, arguments and explanations often include narrative elements, and both informing and arguing rely on using information or evidence drawn from texts.12Examine Grade Level Writing Standards 1 3 What are the 3 types of writing found in the category, Text Types and Purposes?How does the level of difficulty in these CCRS Standards compare with current practice? (What is familiar? Different? Anything new? Dropped?)How does the level of difficulty in these CCRS Standards compare with grade level expectations based on the previous ELA Standards?Distribute the Anchor and Grade Level Standards writing document, Handout #3. Explain the layout, etc. Find a grade level partner. Collaborate to answer the above questions.

Allow a few minutes to work, then invite participants to share their findings.13Grade 2 Analytic Writing

14Grade 4 Analytic Writing: Part 2 Independent Practice

15Appendix C the sample texts included in the appendix are meant to illustrate not the work that strong writers occasionally produce, but the work that all students should be expected to produce and to produce regularly, with independence.

Pathways to the Common Core, pg. 107Read and process the quote.

Copies of Appendix C will be made available for use during training only. Please pick copies up after training (copyright issues)

16Writing Samples-Appendix CPartner Work:

Read the student work samples.Read the annotations.Discuss with your partners. What are you noticing? What questions do you have?Note: The student samples are designed to provide artifacts for teachers with regard to what proficiency should look like for different types of writing. It is also beneficial to share these examples and annotations with the students themselves. By viewing and discussing different writing samples, students grow as writers. Students need to see what good writing looks like. 17ResourcesHelpful websites:www.lexile.comwww.achievethecore.org/basalalignmentprojectwww.textproject.org/textmatterswww.connected.mcgraw-hill.comwww.Engageny.comHelpful articles:Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading by Fisher, Frey and LappEducation Update: Its Complicated by Laura Varlas, April 2012, Vol. 54 #4Educational Leadership: The Challenge of Challenging Text by Shanahan, Fisher and Frey, March 2012, Vol. 69, #6In your opinion, what changes will need to be made in your classroom/school/system to accommodate the shift in writing?

Chart10.30.350.350.350.350.30.40.40.2

ArgumentInform/ExplainNarrative

Sheet1ArgumentInform/ExplainNarrativeElementary30%35%35%Middle35%35%30%High School40%40%20%To resize chart data range, drag lower right corner of range.