Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K-5: English Language Arts Strategies

The strategies you need to teach common standards to diverse learners The elementary years are a critical opportunity to help students of all backgrounds meet the demands of the Common Core Standards. In this realistic, thorough book, Maria Dove and Andrea Honigsfeld show how to help every K-5 student, including English Learners, students with disabilities, speakers of nonstandard English, and other struggling learners, meet the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts (ELA). Educators will find an adaptable approach that ensures all students develop lasting language skills. This resource Familiarizes readers with each of the Common Core′s 32 ELA anchor standards Outlines the specific skills that students need to master each standard Presents a wealth of flexible teaching strategies and instructional tools aligned to each anchor standard  Includes guidance on collaboration and co-teaching for student success Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner is the standards-based ELA resource that elementary teachers have been waiting for! "Each anchor standard in all five domains is fully explained with practical, engaging activities that can add fun and learning to any classroom. Readers will feel supported and energized for the challenges ahead, with a toolkit for meeting the needs of all learners." —Elizabeth Gennosa, English/AIS Teacher Sagamore Middle School, Holtsville, NY "Here′s a resource that will make your teaching life easier and support those learners in your classroom who worry you the most." —Dolores Hennessy, Reading Specialist Hill and Plain School, New Milford, CT

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Introduction Who Are Our Not So Common Learners? The Standards Movement Common Core Advances Application of the Common Core to Address Individual Differences Student Diversity and Teacher Challenges What Is Not Covered in the Common Core Document Focus on Research-Based Strategies to Address Learning Needs 2. Strategies for Academic Language Development Why Diverse Learners Need Explicit Instruction in Academic Language? Core Language and Vocabulary Strategies Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Knowledge and Application of Language Conventions of Standard English Anticipated Outcomes Instructional Challenges Promising Classroom Practices Common Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources 3. Reading Strategies for Literature Why Teaching Diverse Learners Reading Strategies Promotes Comprehension of Literary Texts Core Reading Strategies Key Ideas and Details Craft and Structure Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity Anticipated Outcomes Instructional Challenges Promising Classroom Practices Common Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources 4. Reading Strategies for Informational Texts Why Teaching Diverse Learners Reading Strategies Promotes Comprehension of Informational Texts Core Reading Strategies Key Ideas and Details Craft and Structure Integration of Knowledge and Ideas Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity Anticipated Outcomes Instructional Challenges Promising Classroom Practices Common Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources 5. Reading Foundational Skills Why Explicit Instruction in Basic Literacy Skills is Necessary? Core Reading Strategies Print Concepts Phonological Awareness Phonics and Word Recognition Fluency Anticipated Outcomes Instructional Challenges Promising Classroom Practices Common Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources 6. Writing Strategies Why Explicit Strategy Instruction Improves the Writing of Diverse Learners Core Writing Strategies Text Types and Purposes Production and Distribution of Writing Research to Build and Present Knowledge Range of Writing Anticipated Outcomes Instructional Challenges Promising Classroom Practices Common Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources 7. Speaking and Listening Strategies Why Speaking and Listening Skills Improve the Overall Academic Development of Diverse Learners Core Speaking and Listening Strategies Comprehension and Collaboration Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas Anticipated Outcomes Instructional Challenges Promising Classroom Practices Common Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources 8. Key to Successful Implementation: Collaborative Strategies Why Collaborative Practices Help Meet the Common Core Core Collaborative Strategies Instructional Curriculum Mapping and Alignment Joint Instructional Planning Parallel Teaching Co-developing Instructional Materials Collaborative Assessment Co-teaching Noninstructional Joint Professional Development Teacher Research Joint Parent-Teacher Conferences and Report Card Writing Planning, Facilitating, and Participating in Extracurricular Activities Anticipated Outcomes Challenges Common Core Collaborations—(Un)Common Reflection Questions Key Resources References Index

About the Author :
Maria G. Dove, Ed.D., is a Professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York. She teaches preservice and inservice teachers about the research and best practices for implementing effective instruction for English learners, and she supports doctoral students in the Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities. Before entering the field of higher education, she worked for over thirty years as an English-as-a-second-language teacher in public school settings (Grades K–12) and in adult English language programs in the greater New York City area. She frequently provides professional development for educators throughout the United States on the teaching of multilingual learners. She also serves as a mentor for new ESOL teachers as well as an instructional coach for general-education teachers and literacy specialists. With Andrea Honigsfeld, she has coauthored multiple best-selling Corwin books, including Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K–5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), and Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6–12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader’s Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018). Along with other Corwin top-named authors, she co-authored Breaking Down the Wall: Essential shifts for English learner success (2020). In addition, she co-edited, Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012) and Co-Teaching for English Learners: Evidence-based practices and research-informed outcomes (2020) published by Information Age. With Audrey Cohan and Andrea Honigsfeld, she coauthored Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014) published by Corwin and Team up, speak up, fire up: Educators, students, and the community working together to support English learners (2020) published by ASCD.  Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is a professor in the School of Education at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (Grades 5–8 and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (Grades K–3 and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. She was the recipient of a doctoral fellowship at St. John’s University, New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She has published extensively on working with multilingual learners and teacher collaboration. She received a Fulbright Award to lecture in Iceland in the fall of 2002. In the past 22 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, China, Denmark, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. She coauthored Differentiated Instruction for At-Risk Students (2009) and coedited the five-volume Breaking the Mold of Education series (2010–2013), published by Rowman and Littlefield. She is also the coauthor of Core Instructional Routines: Go-To Structures for Effective Literacy Teaching, K–5 and 6–12 (2014), Growing Language and Literacy (K-8 and 6-12, 2019, 2024 respectively) published by Heinemann. With Maria G. Dove, she coedited Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012), Co-teaching for English Learners: Evidence-based Practices and Research-informed Outcomes (2020), Portraits of collaboration: Educators working together to support multilingual learners (2022), and coauthored Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K–5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6–12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader’s Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018), Collaborating for English Learners: A Foundational Guide to Integrated Practices (2019), and Co-Planning: 5 Essential Practices to Integrate Curriculum and Instruction for English Learners (2022). She is a contributing author of Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learner Success (2020), From Equity Insights to Action (2021), Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners (2022), Collaboration and Co-teaching for Dual Language Learners: Transforming Programs for Multilingualism and Equity (2023), Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall: Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners’ Success (2024). Collaboration for Multilingual Learners with Exceptionalities: We Share the Students (2024), Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to Partnerships (2025), 9 Dimensions of Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners. Ten of her Corwin books are bestsellers.

Review :
"No stone was left unturned in this text. All the best researchers and practitioners are included in this clear, succinct guide which unpacks the Standards and gives outstanding suggestions for best literacy practice. Each anchor standard in all five domains is fully explained with practical, engaging activities that can add fun and learning to any classroom. Readers will feel supported and energized for the challenges ahead, with a toolkit for meeting the needs of all learners." "Here′s a resource that will make your teaching life easier and support those learners in your classroom who worry you the most. This book is full of great strategies based on research and aligned with the Common Core. Strategies at your fingertips to provide you with less stress and worry, plus you will have students who are meeting with success." "This book provides timely, practical assistance for addressing the needs of our unique learners during this time of rigorous standards-based instruction. One can use these samples and ideas immediately in his/her K-5 classroom!" "Here′s a book that can help teachers and administrators alike to meet the pressing need we all have to increase our repertoire of practical, research-supported strategies, if we are to enable all learners to meet the challenging requirements embedded in the new Common Core Standards. Dove and Honigsfeld′s book is timely and immensely user friendly. We will absolutely not be able to "do" the Common Core on our own; Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K-5 will serve us well as a partner in enhancing our professional practice in ways that will support all of our students, not just those who have been targeted as high needs." "Andrea and Maria have the unique gift of interpreting the research and translating into action for teachers. In this book, they outline in easy to understand language the instructional practices teachers need to engage in when implementing the Common Core with the ′not so common learners′. They have taken Collaboration to a new level of understanding for teachers who teach the ′not so common learner′ and who want to take their English Learners to high levels of critical thinking and language development in the implementation of the Common Core." "The strength of this book is in its organization. It not only addresses the key shifts of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy, but is organized to the level of the anchor standards, which are further broken down into strand-specific sets. It doesn’t just talk about the Standards, but rather offers essential solutions to K-5 teachers on how to achieve them with diverse learners. Finally, a how-to book that is worth its weight in gold!" "Though this book focuses on implementing the CORE standards with diverse learners, it really extends beyond to promote a schoolwide ′growth mindset′ for an inclusive and collaborative service delivery model - a model which sees ELLs and other at-risk learners for what they can do with instructional support. This is a very practical handbook for elementary teachers and schools." "If you want to know how to help the diverse learners in your classroom meet the Common Core Standards, Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner is a must-read book."