The Common Core State Standards represents a call for all teachers to focus on the literacy learning of their students. Together, these skills—reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing—comprise the literacies that students must develop if they are to master content and be successful in college or the workplace. This book will assist content-area teachers in understanding the Common Core State Standards that apply to their various courses. Standards in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are explained in detail, including examples of lessons designed to ensure that students master each Standard. This authoritative resource:
- Explains every Standard with examples of quality instruction.
- Provides specific guidance for including English language learners on the CCSS path to success.
- Offers strategies for assessing student performance, demonstrating how to use oral language, questions, writing, projects, and tests to check for understanding.
- Discusses ways to organize assessment information so that patterns of performance can be identified to improve re-teaching efforts.
Douglas Fisher is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College. Nancy Frey is a professor of literacy in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Cristina Alfaro is an associate professor of English language and biliteracy development in the College of Education at San Diego State University (SDSU) and Director of Multilingual Initiatives.
“Count on Fisher, Frey, and Alfaro to lead the way into the Common Core with this in-depth examination. The Path to Get There provides an effective blueprint for the teaching of science, history, and technical subjects in the era of Common Core.”
—Gabriela Mafi, Assistant Superintendent, Secondary Education, Garden Grove (CA) Unified School District
“I highly recommend this book for both language and content teachers as together they grapple with how best to implement the Common Core Standards to make learning meaningful for today's diverse student population.”
—Margo Gottlieb, Director of Assessment and Evaluation, Illinois Resource Center
“This book is much more than another content-area reading text; it is a book about learning content. This book is much more than a text about the Common Core Standards; it is a book about how to implement these standards in the classroom. This is an essential resource for middle- and secondary-level teachers, curriculum leaders, and administrators!”
—Karen D. Wood, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
“The authors flesh out a vision of embedded literacy instruction that is manageable and integral to the teaching of a content discipline. Disciplinary teachers who do not have an extensive background in literacy and language arts will find this book to be an especially valuable resource in their work to realize the Common Core Standards with their students.”
—Doug Buehl, Edgewood College
“The Path to Get There is an important and extremely useful resource. With the sharp focus on rigorous literacy instruction so necessary today, content area teachers are often left out of the discussion. This book puts them front and center and seeks to support them in this crucial work.”
—Esther Klein Friedman, Senior Director, Literacy and Academic Intervention, Office of Academic Policy, New York City Department of Education
“The Path to Get There provides a road map for enhancing literacy instruction within and across disciplines. This will be a valuable resource for new and veteran teachers, curriculum coordinators, department leaders, and administrators.”
—Taffy E. Raphael, University Scholar, Coordinator, Teacher Network, Project READi, University of Illinois at Chicago
