For over a decade educators across the nation have used a range of reading and writing standards to guide literacy instruction in classrooms. Building on this firm foundation, the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS) shift gears to provide American youth with skills needed to be prepared for college and careers of the 21st Century. The roadmap to college and promising careers is more evident when standards of success are well-articulated and accessible—no matter where students live or where they attend school! (To date 45 states have adopted the Common Core Standards.)
Research demonstrates that when children become proficient readers in their early years, they are more likely to remain better readers throughout their school years. With the CCSS, all students must be able to master texts of increasing rigor—with greater emphasis on expository or informational reading—so that by the end of high school, graduates are able to independently and proficiently understand the complexity of texts found in today’s colleges and careers.
To ensure that all learners reach this destination, the CCSS intentionally separate K-5 Foundational Skills from the K-12 Vocabulary and Comprehension Skills which are integrated across the four strands of reading, writing, speaking/listening and language.
The Common Core Foundational Skills are—quite literally—the “foundation” upon which all reading success is built and include:
- Phonological Awareness
- Word Recognition
Kid Scoop helps teachers support Foundational, Vocabulary and Comprehension skills in a fun and interactive way! A dynamic weekly publication, Kid Scoop presents high interest informational text with colorful illustrations, charts, diagrams and activities that motivate and excite young learners. Thematic topics cover a wide range of interests and multiple content areas. Students “learn to read” as they “read to learn” while practicing skills and strategies using an authentic resource.