THREE INSTRUCTIONAL
SHIFTS
Instructional Shifts in
ELA Common Core State Standards
6 Shifts
3 Shifts
Shift 1: Balancing informational Building knowledge through
and literary text
content-rich nonfiction and
Shift 2: Building knowledge in informational texts
the disciplines
Shift 4: Text-based answers
Shift 5: Writing from sources
Reading and writing grounded in
evidence from text
Shift 3: Staircase of complexity Regular practice with complex
Shift 6: Academic vocabulary
text and its academic
vocabulary
Building Knowledge through
Content-Rich Nonfiction and
Informational Text
• Students read a balance of informational and
literary texts.
• Students access the world through texts.
• Teachers embed literacy experiences in content
area instruction.
Reading and Writing Grounded
in Evidence from Texts
• Students have rigorous conversations that are
dependent on a common text.
• Classroom experiences stay deeply connected to the
text.
• Students use evidence to support arguments during
discussion.
• Writing emphasizes use of evidence to inform or make
an argument.
Regular Practice with Complex
Texts and Its Academic Vocabulary
• To be college and career ready, students make a “step”
of growth on the “staircase” of complexity.
• Students read grade appropriate texts around which
instruction is centered.
• Teachers create more time and space for close and
careful reading.
• Teachers constantly build students’ vocabulary so that
they are able to access grade level complex texts.
Text Complexity
Analyzing a Text for
Complexity
•
Identify a quantitative measure
•
Determine qualitative measure
•
Consider your readers, and the task you
expect them to complete
•
Make a recommended placement
Identify the quantitative measure.
Use lexile.com (or your district’s measure).
http://www.lexile.com/
Text Complexity Grade Bands and Associated
Lexile Ranges
(Not Applicable for K-1)
450L-790L
2-3
770L-980L
4-5
955L-1155L
6-8
1080L-1305L
9-10
1215L-1355L
11-CCR
Determine the qualitative measure
Choose a portion of text, preferably in the middle.
(In some cases use two passages.)
Annotate the portion of text you have selected.
Look for :
• Levels of meaning/purpose
• Structure
• Language
• Knowledge demands
The Book Thief Annotations
Students are likely to find the following
characteristics challenging:
–the historical setting;
–much of the text is figurative with extensive use of metaphor,
including personification of death itself;
–the innovative stylistic techniques used - the most obvious is the
narrator Death’s use of boldface text to relay certain information;
–the intertwining, multiple themes.
To complete the qualitative
measure...
Match your annotations to the Text
Complexity Qualitative Rubric.
Matching our annotations to the rubric
Annotation
Rubric
The narrator is not identified until
part way through the text.
Meaning: Several layers of
meaning that may be difficult to
identify or separate; theme is
implicit or subtle and may be
revealed over the entirety of the
text.
The personification of death
throughout the text.
Organization: Organization may
include subplots, time shifts and
more complex characters.
Much of the text is figurative with
extensive use of metaphor.
Conventionality: Dense and
complex; contains abstract,
ironic, and/or figurative language.
Book Thief
Marcus Zusak
Reader and Task
Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge and experiences) and
task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task
assigned and the questions posed).
Consider Reader and Task
What aspects of the text will likely pose the most challenge for
my students?
• Content or theme concerns or challenges?
• Text structure challenges?
• Language feature challenges?
• Knowledge and experience demands?
• Motivation for and interest in the text?
What Common Core State Standards should I focus on when
teaching this text? (refer to the shorthand document)
• What are natural areas of focus for this text?
• With what standards do my students need the most practice?
Will the complexity of any before, during and after reading tasks
or the complexity of any questions asked about the text
interfere with the reading experience?
What supports do I need to provide so that all of my students
(even those who are struggling readers) can access the text?
Pulling it all together…
It is important to consider all sides of the
triangle equally to determine placement.
Your class & your
assigned task
What do we do with all of this
information?
Text complexity bands for placement of text:
– K-1
– 2-3
– 4-5
– 6-8
– 9-10
– 11-CCR
Why is this process important?
How would
teachers use
the placemats?
• Discuss at tables
• Share ideas
“Realizing that some of the books on the
Lexile scale were not what I expected, but
diving into the form to complete text
complexity helped rationalize how to really
score the book’s difficulty.”
-quote from a teacher
Group Practice
Complete a placemat for the text
provided.
Answering Hard Questions
How do I teach my
students to read difficult
materials when we don’t
have time to read even
simple texts in class?