The Common Core State Standards for English/language arts have altered the way in which educators teach reading. Students are expected to read more nonfiction and complex texts, a feat meant to be challenging, but achievable. Furthermore, the English Standards shift students away from connecting the reading to their personal experiences and toward an evidence-seeking approach. This major change in English education may have been a shock to teachers, but it seems to resonate with students.
Old methods
According to NPR, before Common Core implementation, English teachers taught reading differently than they do now, especially in settings where students struggled with it. The "skills and strategies" method targeted the abilities students need to be good readers, such as making inferences about the text and finding the theme. Teachers would help students develop those skills outside of reading, so when they picked up a book, they could apply their knowledge.
Furthermore, many schools used leveled instruction, which introduces texts to students based on their reading level. As such, if a student is in sixth grade but reads at a fifth-grade level, he or she would tackle texts specifically designed for fifth graders. Every student would also relate the reading to his or her life by sharing a personal story.
Problems with this approach
Though the old way of teaching reading was around for awhile, it wasn't helping students overcome difficulties. According to standardized testing data from the National Association of Educational Procurement, reading scores have steadily increased over the years. On a scale of 0-500, they were 221 for fourth graders in 2011 and 265 for eighth graders in the same year. That was before the Common Core implementation. After that, the 2013 tests showed reading improvement. Fourth graders on average earned 222 and eighth graders earned 268.
The leveled instruction method put some kids at a disadvantage. Students who were behind stayed behind because their instruction catered to their level rather than help them overcome challenges. NPR noted that students in the same class could read the same text, but words were changed to make it easier to read for students who struggled. How can students learn new vocabulary if they aren't given new words to learn?
Furthermore, David Liben of the nonprofit Student Achievement Partners told the source that sharing experiences related to a reading puts some kids at a disadvantage. Lower-income students may not be able to relate to a story about vacation, so they don't talk in class. The Common Core has students cite evidence when discussing text, something all students can do, regardless of their economic or social background.
No comments yet.