Common Core Guide: English Language Arts
Click below for the Common Core State Standards Guides in pdf format provided by the California Department of Education:
During the 2014-15 academic year, when California moves from the current California Standards Test (CST) to a standardized assessment (developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium) we will be ready and aligned with CCSS to more fully assess student learning.
CCSS-English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies and Technical Subjects
CCSS- English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies and Technical Subjects/En Español
The CCSS for English-language arts are divided into four strands: reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language. The standards are organized by grade level for kindergarten through grade eight and by grade span for high school.
For kindergarten through grade five, the reading standards include foundational skills that foster students’ understanding and working knowledge of concepts of print, the alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions of the English language.
Standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects provide additional specificity about the application of reading and writing standards to subject area content.
At each grade level and grade span, the reading strand includes standards for both literature and informational text. Literature encompasses a broad range of cultures, periods, and genres (e.g., stories, folktales, fantasy, realistic fiction, drama, poetry). Informational texts include biographies and autobiographies; writings about history-social sciences, science, and the arts; technical texts; and digital sources.
The writing standards call for students to write for a variety of purposes and to use technology to produce and publish their writing. Students are expected to write in varied genres, building mastery in a range of skills and applications.
Vocabulary acquisition and practice are threaded throughout the four strands, reflecting current research on how students best learn new words. Both writing and collaborative conversations about grade level topics and text provide students opportunities to practice using new vocabulary.
Students learn to express ideas, work together, and listen carefully to integrate and evaluate information. Skills are not learned in isolation, but in connection with reading and analyzing grade-level texts and topics. Technology is used to gather and present information.
For kindergarten through grade five, the reading standards include foundational skills that foster students’ understanding and working knowledge of concepts of print, the alphabetic principle, and other basic conventions of the English language.
Standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects provide additional specificity about the application of reading and writing standards to subject area content.
At each grade level and grade span, the reading strand includes standards for both literature and informational text. Literature encompasses a broad range of cultures, periods, and genres (e.g., stories, folktales, fantasy, realistic fiction, drama, poetry). Informational texts include biographies and autobiographies; writings about history-social sciences, science, and the arts; technical texts; and digital sources.
The writing standards call for students to write for a variety of purposes and to use technology to produce and publish their writing. Students are expected to write in varied genres, building mastery in a range of skills and applications.
Vocabulary acquisition and practice are threaded throughout the four strands, reflecting current research on how students best learn new words. Both writing and collaborative conversations about grade level topics and text provide students opportunities to practice using new vocabulary.
Students learn to express ideas, work together, and listen carefully to integrate and evaluate information. Skills are not learned in isolation, but in connection with reading and analyzing grade-level texts and topics. Technology is used to gather and present information.