The Common Core requires students to look further into the essays, stories and books than simply memorizing bits of the plot. Instead, children must understand character development, story arc and why things happen. Parents can help their kids make the transition to deeper thinking with these ideas:
Start an intrigue journal
In school, your children will answer questions about what they are reading. They may fill out worksheets and even write paragraphs about different passages they've read. This doesn't mean, however, that they are following their interests. An intrigue journal is a great way to encourage further investigation into aspects they enjoy. Have your kids make a list of the five things they found most interesting in their latest reading. This could be their favorite characters, most-vivid scenery or even questions they have about why something happened the way it did. They should note what drew them to the particular list item and include page numbers so you can discuss their intrigue journal further.
So what? writing
With the Common Core, students can't simply follow along with the plot. Kids must understand why things are happening and how different plot points relate to one another and the characters. One great way to get your children thinking in a "so what?" mindset is to have them write immediately after finishing some reading. They can make guesses as to what will come next, like where will the characters go or who will say something that solves the problem. When they continue reading later, your kids can then look back to see if they were right and discuss why certain things happened differently than they'd imagined.
Discuss the language
All writers have their own style, and they lend their personal linguistic ticks to their characters. One author may imagine his characters with Southern accents and frequently make efforts to have them come off as such. They may say "y'all" often, for example. Choices like this are imperative to getting the reader to understand some of the story. Talk about the way the characters speak to one another to get a feel for who they are and how they treat each other. Also discuss the language the writer uses like any idioms (bump on a log), colloquialisms (prettier than a blue-nosed mule) and metaphors (all the world's a stage). This will help parents learn if their kids are understanding what they're reading.
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