An Overview of Common Core &
Balanced Literacy
for Instructional Assistants
Candace Heath
Instructional Coach
RPES, TES, NTES, STES
Today’s Agenda
1:15-1:45 – Overview of Common Core
1:45-2:15 – Text Evidence Strategies
2:15-2:30 – Break
2:30-3:15 – Balanced Literacy with a focus
on Interactive Read Alouds
Appointment Clocks...
Getting to know your
neighbors 
What is Common Core?
Mission Statement:
“The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent,
clear understanding of what students are expected to
learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do
to help them. The standards are designed to be robust
and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge
and skills that our young people need for success in
college and careers. With American students fully
prepared for the future, our communities will be best
positioned to compete successfully in the global
economy.”
www.corestandards.org
Who has adopted these
standards?
 45
states
 The District of Columbia
 4 territories
 Department of Defense Activity
What are the major difference between the
old NCSCOS and new CCSS?
Reading
•Text complexity
and growth of
comprehension
What
resources are
we using?
Writing
•Text types
•Responding to
writing
•Research
Speaking and
Listening
•Flexible
communication
& collaboration
Foundation of
literacy
Language
•Conventions
•Effective use
•Vocabulary
English Language Arts (ELA)
Strands:
 RI
– Reading Informational
 RL – Reading Literature
 L – Language
 RF – Reading Foundational
 W – Writing
Sample Standard
Find your… 12:00
appointment buddy
Take
2-3 minutes to
share your comfort
level with Common
Core
Let’s Create a “Three
Shifts” Foldable
Shift #1 High Quality Texts
in a Wide Variety of Genres...especially
Using a 50/50 Balance of
Fiction and Nonfiction
12
SHIFT #1
50/50 Fiction and
Nonfiction…Variety of Genres
What the Student Does…
What the Teacher Does…
*build content knowledge
through reading high quality
texts
*provides students with 50/50
fiction/nonfiction text balance
*finds evidence
*exposed to the world through
reading
*handles primary source
documents
*makes connections across
disciplines
*scaffolds informational texts
*models the use of a variety of
comprehension strategies
*teaches through and with
informational texts by having
students read the text and not
just summarize or lecture an
overview of it
Shift #2
Reading &Writing
Grounded in the Text
Text-based Evidence
Writing from Sources
14
SHIFT #2
Reading and Writing
Grounded in the Text
What the Student Does…
*Finds evidence to support
their answer
What the Teacher Does…
*Facilitates text based
questions and gives students
time to write about texts
*Creates their own judgment
or opinion from facts in the
text
*Encourages students to spend
time in the text and reread
*Reads text more than once
*Uses questioning to help
students analyze the text
*Compares multiple sources
*Provides opportunities for
students to argue a point and
share their conclusions and
opinions
SHIFT #2—Text Evidence
“Because”… is the magic word because it tells everyone
where your answer is coming from, it's not your answer,
it's the reason for your answer, it's the evidence for
your inference, or the schema for your predication.
Teachers
model how to
ask questions
and show
thinking!
Shift #3 Regular Practice with Complex
Texts and its Academic Vocabulary
Tier 3:
Precision
Vocabulary
Text Complexity
Tier 2:
Descriptive
Vocabulary
Tier 1:
Basic and General
Vocabulary
Academic – Tier 2—
Vocabulary
17
SHIFT #3
Text Complexity
and Academic Vocabulary
What the Student Does…
What the Teacher Does…
*Rereads
*Exposes students to complex
text in a variety of genres
*Able to work through
frustration when engaged with
challenging text
*Uses academic vocabulary and
content specific vocabulary
*Learns and uses new
vocabulary from text read
*Uses shorter texts and
teaches students power of
rereading
*Provides scaffolding and
strategies for accessing high
level text
*Fewer words more deeply
Let’s
Review…
Shift #1
Read 50/50 F/NF
Digging
Deep!
Shift #2
Text Evidence
Shift #3
Informative
Complex Text &
Tier 2 Vocabulary
Teaching the
READER, not the
reading!
Opinion
Narrative
Let’s dive a little deeper into
TEXT EVIDENCE…
(also called “text dependent”
questions)
“Read like a detective.
Write like a reporter.”
-David Coleman
Source: “50 Shades of Common Core” by Jen Jones
Prove it!
Posters
Let’s practice together with
The Hungry Caterpillar
How do we ask text
dependent questions?
Author’s Purpose in K-2
Who tells the story—the narrator or the
caterpillar?
A narrator tells the story, because
he uses the words he and his. If it
was the caterpillar, he would say I
and my.
Vocabulary in K-2
How does the author help us to understand
what cocoon means?
Sample
response?
Now, you try…
Find your 9:00 appointment
•
•
•
Choose a book from your table
Practice generating TWO “text evidence”
questions using Delaware question stems
(on your table)
Create a sample student response for
each
Let’s share a few of our
examples with the group
How can we help to
improve student
response?
Make and Take:
Text Evidence Sticks
Text Evidence Sticks &
Accountable Book Marks:
AT YOUR TABLE, discuss:
• How could you use these in your
classroom?
Generate one list on the blue sticky note...
Be prepared to share 
Let’s Take a Break!
So, What is
Balanced Literacy
and how does it
relate to Common
Core??
Elements of
Balanced Literacy:
READING:
Interactive Read Aloud
Shared Reading
Guided Reading
Independent Reading
Word Study
WRITING:
Shared Writing
Interactive Writing
Guided Writing
Independent Writing
Interactive Read Aloud
 The
teacher selects and reads a book or
other text to the children inviting
conversation as they think together
through the text.
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Shared Reading
 The
teacher introduces and reads an
enlarged text or a small text of which
each child has a copy. On refrains and in
multiple readings, children join in, reading
in unison.
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Guided Reading
 The
teacher selects and introduces a new
text a the children’s instructional level.
 Children read the whole text to
themselves
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Independent Reading
 The
children read to themselves or with
partners.
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Shared Writing
 The
teacher guides children to compose
messages and acts as their scribe. The
message is reread many times.
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Interactive Writing
 The
teacher guides group writing of a
large-print piece, which can be a list, a
chart, pages of book, or another form of
writing.
 All children participate in composing and
constructing various aspects of the writing
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Guided Writing/Writing
Workshop
 The
teacher has individual conferences
with writers, giving selected feedback
 The teacher works with the whole class or
small group to provide mini lessons on any
aspect of writing
 The teacher and children “share” the
writing to solicit feedback
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Independent Writing
 Children
write their own messages and
stories, sometimes helping each other.
Guided Reading – Fountas and Pinnell
Let’s focus on Interactive
Read Alouds…
How should an interactive
read aloud look?
 Teacher
models comprehension
strategies
 Engages students through questioning
and discussion
 Builds vocabulary and background
knowledge
 DYNAMIC
Adapted from www.readworks.org
You may use
the back of
your flip book
for notes 
Before Reading:





Preview the book and practice reading it with
fluency and expression.
Plan an introduction—find links to personal
experiences.
Introduce the title, author, and illustrator.
Introduce any information that may be
necessary to facilitate understanding of the
story.
Set a purpose for listening to the story (e.g., “I
wonder” statements, such as I wonder what
the wolf wants to do with the pigs, provide us
focus for listening).
Jamison Rog, Lori (2002). Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten. Interactive Storybook
Reading: Making the Classroom Read-Aloud Program a Meaningful Experience, 6, 49-55.
During Reading:







Read fluently and expressively.
Hold the books so your child can see the
illustrations.
Try to establish frequent eye contact with your
child.
Draw attention to the illustrations and features of
the text.
Pause occasionally to revisit predictions, express
curiosity, or comment on something interesting.
Invite your child to question and comment but
keep it focused on the story.
Explain words and ideas you think your child might
not understand.
Jamison Rog, Lori (2002). Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten. Interactive Storybook Reading: Making the Classroom Read-Aloud
Program a Meaningful Experience, 6, 49-55.
After Reading:
 Allow
time for discussion
 Encourage various levels of response with
questions
 Make personal connections to the text
(e.g. “What did this story remind you of?”).
 Retell the story or reread it to enhance
comprehension.
Jamison Rog, Lori (2002). Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten. Interactive Storybook Reading: Making
the Classroom Read-Aloud Program a Meaningful Experience, 6, 49-55.
Read Aloud
Checklist
Linda Hoyt: Demonstration
Interactive Read Aloud
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYoeVkf3s7E
Find your 3:00 Appointment…
Discuss:
Think- Pair-Share
Activity
-What strategies did you
observe in the video?
-What does this look like in your
classroom?
-How will you use this checklist
in your classroom?
Thank you for ALL that you do!
Exit Ticket:
Please complete your exit tickets before you
leave and place them on the sign in table.
Thanks for coming! How can I help?
Candace_Heath@pender.k12.nc.us