
As educators, it’s essential that we teach our students how to become informed citizens–to examine evidence and argument related to the issues that shape political opinion and decisions. It’s as Common Core as it gets.
September 18, 2013
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As educators, it’s essential that we teach our students how to become informed citizens–to examine evidence and argument related to the issues that shape political opinion and decisions. It’s as Common Core as it gets.

As students around the country return to school, those in New York City are facing a future without certified school librarians, as the NYC Department of Education (DOE) has asked to be excused from a decades-old state mandate on minimum staffing requirements.

The first round of Common Core assessment results are in. What do they tell us, and what should librarians be asking? Marc Aronson weighs in.

What if we said it doesn’t matter what you are teaching—we want your students to examine and understand how thinkers and creators come together to argue, share, compete, build, and yield exponential leaps in thinking, creativity, and invention?

The very language of the Common Core State Standards calls for librarians’ key skills: research; equipping students to access, evaluate, and synthesize information; and strengthening literacy. Paige Jaeger, a coordinator of school library services in Saratoga Springs, NY argues that librarians can build a strong case for a seventh shift in the CCSS: research.

The authors of the Common Core State Standards don’t spell out how text should be taught–that’s been left up to teachers and curriculum developers. A new book offers a framework for developing a content-rich, standards-based curriculum.

The Common Core State Standards place strong emphasis on vocabulary, and librarians are in a prime position to actively support this shift. This month’s “On Common Core” column shares how, including selecting read-alouds with robust language, helping students find engaging (and challenging) nonfiction books that match their interests, carefully choosing titles for reading lists, and initiating independent reading incentives.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading today unveiled a new report on the role of museums and libraries in early learning, and issued a call to action for policymakers, schools, funders, and parents to include these institutions in comprehensive early learning strategies.

These audiobook versions of time-honored classics shine a spotlight on language, lyrical expression, and character development. Try pairing them with their film adaptations for excellent compare and contrast opportunities.

How can we use the summer to provide kids with more opportunities to grow confident as nonfiction readers? The authors offer suggestions and recommend a few reading lists to share with students.

What lies ahead for teachers and librarians just embarking on the Common Core journey? Marc Aronson shares his thoughts and insights.

Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?

The focus on the close reading of texts suggests a new idea to SLJ’s columnist—an idea that taps librarians’ expertise and offers an exciting approach to inquiry.

Author and Common Core expert Kathleen Odean reveals great titles to tap as you work with the new standards.

Authors of nonfiction for young readers model specific writing styles and techniques that demonstrate a command of the written word, engage and hook readers, and help to explain and contextualize important concepts.

By the time students reach grade 12, the Common Core State Standards require that 70% of their reading should be nonfiction. In order to fulfill this requirement in content area subjects, students will need to read more than their textbooks. Luckily, nonfiction writers for teens continue to create amazing narrative nonfiction that supports science and social studies, and that our kids will want to read.

April is National Poetry Month, and SLJ has compiled a list of tools and creative ideas for celebrating. From poetry slam best practices to Common Core curriculum connections, this roundup is chock-full of ways to approach the poetic form with kids all year long.

What resources do librarians have in their collections that meet the goals of the Common Core initiative? How will the Common Core State Standards influence the decisions school and public librarians will be making as they continue to develop their collections? What specifically should educators be looking for in the resources they select? Join Kathleen Odean, librarian, speaker, reviewer, university instructor, and the author of guides to children’s titles as she discusses the books that engage children and meet the goals of the CCSS. Archive now available!

In adopting the Common Core State Standards, U. S. educators are part of a larger educational reform movement. From England to Japan countries around the world are debating a national curricula. Why are so many nations considering one? And where does the impetus to do so come from? Marc Aronson ponders these questions in his latest Consider the Source column.

The ability for teachers and students to embed their own content into digital texts, write notes, and get feedback on student reading—classroom reading just got a lot more dynamic. SLJ columnist Jeff Hastings test driives Gobstopper and Subtext.







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