With its emphasis on research, learning, investigating, and arriving at one’s own conclusions, History Day is a perfect complement to the new education guidelines.
National History Day—A Perfect Support for Common Core | Consider the Source
By on April 4, 2013 2 Comments
Speak Up | Consider the Source
By on March 21, 2013 2 Comments
How are New York’s librarians doing when it comes to Common Core? Find out as SLJ columnist Marc Aronson talks to educators who are in the trenches.
Balancing Readability and Reading Fluency | On Common Core
By on March 12, 2013 1 Comment
Knowing the research behind text complexity is critical to understanding the Common Core’s call for more complexity, and how reading for pleasure fits in.
The Common Core and the Public Librarian | On Common Core: Part 5
By on March 11, 2013 3 Comments
School librarians across the country have been actively engaged in implementing the Common Core State Standards. More recently public librarians have joined the conversation, asking their colleagues what they need to know about the initiative and how it will affect collection development, homework help, and reference service. Join us for a chat with Olga M. Nesi, a regional coordinator with the New York City Department of Education, Division of Library Services, and Nina Lindsay, Children’s Services Coordinator at the Oakland Public Library, Oakland, CA as they explore the ways in which today’s professionals in public libraries are being called on to serve students in their libraries in light of the Common Core. Archive now available!
Coming Soon to a School Near You | Consider the Source
By on March 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
Common Core’s “Next Generation Science Standards” will be released this month, and although critics say the new guidelines still need work, they’re a step in the right direction.
Inquiry and Nonfiction | On Common Core
By on March 4, 2013 4 Comments
Inquiry and nonfiction are closely related and books that explore the work of scientists can be ideal mentor texts as students develop skills that are essential for learning.
Pathways to Engaged Readers: Helping Students Reach Common Core Levels | On Common Core: Part 4
By on February 28, 2013 Leave a Comment
Join Mary Ehrenworth, the Deputy Director at the Reading and Writing Project at Teachers College, Columbia University, and co-author of Pathways to the Common Core, as she explores creating a school culture of reading, the challenges and methods for getting just-right books into kids’ hands, increasing nonfiction engagement, and building structures for clubs and parent involvement through the central core of a school’s reading life— the library. Archive now available!
Patchwork Common Core Implementation Plagues the U.S. | Consider the Source
By on February 20, 2013 4 Comments
When it comes to putting Common Core Standards into action, there’s one word for where we’re at as a nation: patchwork. Marc Aronson points out what school librarians can do to remedy the situation.
Whodunit?: Mysteries Can Support the Common Core | Listen In
By on February 14, 2013 2 Comments
With their emphasis on clear observation, logical thinking, and well-drawn conclusions, mysteries support many Common Core State Standards and lend themselves to an array of interesting writing assignments. These audiobooks are sure to spark student interest.
(Mis)Guided Reading | Consider the Source
By on February 13, 2013 1 Comment
Marc Aronson explores the fundamental clash between guided reading and Common Core.
On Common Core | Talking about Nonfiction
By on February 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Talking takes time” note the authors, but allowing students time for conversations about the texts they are reading is essential.
Planning Common Core Lessons?: Free, Web-based applications can help align your plans with the new standards
By on January 31, 2013
Ready or not, here they come. At almost every school I visited this year, teachers asked me to address the Common Core (CC) standard in my workshops. Planning lessons with CC in mind presents a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. These sites are designed with the express purpose of helping plan lessons around Common Core.
On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: New Releases for Your Nonfiction Shelves
By on January 28, 2013 1 Comment
Good nonfiction titles rise to the top as librarians focus their content needs to meet the Common Core State Standards. New releases by our favorite authors and illustrators include an environmental bilingual poem, a picture-book biography, a fact-filled science title, and a narrative account of a bird’s 7,200 mile migration.
Consider the Source: Getting History Right
By on January 16, 2013 1 Comment
History texts for young readers and young adults should invite them to participate in the process of thinking about, and thus re-imagining, who we are and how we got that way. Using annotated citations and other methods, our goal should be to let kids in on the process.
Deconstructing Nonfiction | On Common Core
By on January 8, 2013 6 Comments
If students are not familiar with nonfiction texts, they may assume that every nonfiction book serves the same function.
‘Pathways to the Common Core’ | Professional Shelf
By on January 7, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Pathways to the Common Core” offers solutions and directions for teachers looking for a way to understand and implement the Common Core State Standards into their lesson plans.
Making the Text Connection | On Common Core: Part 3
By on January 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
With nonfiction and informational text at the forefront of the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), there are new demands and opportunities for reading, writing, speaking and listening for students.Hear directly from some of today’s leading children’s and young adult nonfiction authors as they speak about their work and the specific ways nonfiction and informational texts can be used by librarians and teachers to help their students become better readers. This panel will also explore the ways in which the following focus points connect to the Common Core State Standards for Reading and Writing. Archive now available!
A Call for ‘Blended Funding’: Schools must pool money to support Common Core
By on December 10, 2012
How will schools pay for new CC resources, including digital? One approach is to look for existing funds within your school and district that can be redirected so that your library can purchase CC resources for the classroom. But that requires that libraries market their expertise in resource selection and collection development so that your value is obvious to others, says Christopher Harris.
Clustering and the Common Core
By on December 2, 2012 1 Comment
Achieving the level of complex thinking in the classroom required by the Common Core standards can feel overwhelming, particularly when students will be reading, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing in this capacity throughout the day.
The Public Library Connection: The new standards require that public and school librarians pull together | On Common Core
By on December 1, 2012 10 Comments
Now, more than ever before, collaboration between public and school librarians is critical. As we strive to be at the center of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in our schools, strong relationships with our local public librarians can make all the difference in the world and provide us, our students, and our school colleagues with tremendous advantages.
While public and school libraries differ, our common patron base of children gives both groups fertile ground [...]
