Common Core Standards in diverse classrooms : essential practices for developing academic language and disciplinary literacy.

Zwiers, Jeff, Susan O'Hara and Robert Pritchard. Common Core Standards in diverse classrooms : essential practices for developing academic language and disciplinary literacy. 2014. 288p. ISBN 978-1-57110-997-2. Available at PRO 428 ZWI on the library shelves

The adoption of the Common Core State Standards implemented significant changes in education, including a progression of learning standards from kindergarten to 12th grade. These standards were designed to ensure that students acquired the skills necessary to be proficient in college or at work. Students must now learn more academically rigorous language and demonstrate their knowledge through creativity, criticism, and communication across all of the academic disciplines. These new demands can be intimidating for students, and even more so for English language learners, who must struggle both with acquiring a new language while at the same time mastering concepts and standards.

Common Core Standards in diverse classrooms : essential practices for developing academic language and disciplinary literacy proposes seven teaching methods identified through research to assist all academic language learners in meeting the Common Core State Standards, whether they be proficient in English or not. The ultimate goal of each method is to promote and accelerate the growth of their communication skills to allow them to be more successful academically. These methods can be used daily by teachers in any grade or discipline to develop better communication. Numerous examples of application in the classroom are provided, along with helpful rubrics and concrete examples of implementation.

Professionals will appreciate the breath and width of techniques and modeling provided and will be able to enhance their own practice by becoming more inclusive with all language learners, not just English natives.