There is so much attention to standardized tests in K12 education: The FCAT and TEKS and so on. And they are apparently all changing to a new format with a whole new approach known as the Common Core. What is this Common Core and why such a fuss?
The common core came from an initiative by a group that I had never heard of called the State Supervisiors of Education (or something). They felt that they could cooperaitvely come up with new standards, now known as the CCSS. Big changes in language arts that they are pushing.
1. Much harder. Many states since Bush's NCLB had dumbed down their state tests to make their students looks smarter. The standards really shot down the last 15 years. This moves them back up.
2. Much more skills and conceptual, much less acceptance of simply remembering and regurgitating information. Higher order thinking skills!
3. Less emphasis on understanding literature, more emphasis on dealing with non-fiction writing.
4. More media sophistication. Who is the writer of this piece? Are they narrating? Convincing? Persuading? Hiding? Claiming objectivity? Documenting researching? Reporting? Can you write with each of these biases?
5. Much more emphasis on proper use and deep levels of vocabulary.
To help, many parents this summer are considering helping their kids with a remote study summer program for general summer skills work, or summer writing work. Here's some info on writing materials to help you think about it!
- Elementary School Online Writing Instruction
- Essay Writing for Standardized Tests: Tips for Writing a Five Paragraph Essay
- Four Types of Sentences and the Effect of Punctuation
- Get a Head Start in School with Summer Study
- High School Writing Overview
- Homeschool Lapbooking Writing
- Homeschool Online Writing Curriculum
- How Graphic Organizers Help Students Master Writing
- How Writing Rubrics Improve Writing
- Middle School Writing Overview
- SAT Writing
- Step-by-Step Guide to Writing an Essay
- The Importance of Vocabulary in Writing
- The Myths and Realities of Writing Well and Great Writing
- Paragraph Writing Secrets