Common Core CPR

ReLeah Cossett Lent is an international consultant known for speaking, writing, and providing workshops on various topics ranging from literacy to leadership teams. She was previously a middle and high school English, Social Studies, and Journalism teacher before becoming a founding member of a state-wide literacy project at the University of Central Florida. There, she contributed to developing Florida's Reading Endorsement courses and coordinated literacy leadership teams statewide. Her most impactful work stems from multi-day residencies in schools, districts, and consortiums, where she has created numerous professional learning initiatives with positive results in student achievement and teacher leadership. An advocate for student ownership and active learning, ReLeah emphasizes powerful collective efficacy as teacher teams engage in problem solving. She has been recognized with several awards, including intellectual freedom awards from the National Council of Teachers of English and The American Library Association, the PEN First Amendment Award, and the Florida Council of Teachers of English (FCTE) President's Award for her "significant contributions to the teachings of English in State of Florida." Barry Gilmore was the Middle School Head and later the Assistant Head of School for Teaching and Learning at Hutchison School in Memphis, Tennessee. A National Board Certified Teacher, he taught English and social studies for nearly twenty years. Barry is the author of seven education books and the former president of the Tennessee Council of Teachers of English. Awards for his teaching have come from NCTE, TCTE, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Tennessee Holocaust Commission. He passed away in 2019 at the age of 50 and is dearly missed by his students, family, friends and fellow faculty.

Foreword by Richard L. Allington Introduction: Meeting Common Core With Common Sense Defining "Standards" An Introduction to the Standards Important Considerations Using Common Sense: What Is Not Covered by the Standards A Portrait of a Young Student: What We Cover in This Book Keeping the End in Mind Acknowledgments Chapter 1. How Do We Reach Reluctant Students? Understanding Reluctance: Why Daniel Struggled Final Thoughts: Leaving Daniel (for Now) Chapter 2. Why Scaffolding Complex Text Is Crucial Creating Proficient Readers: What's a Teacher to Do? Text Complexity: Difficult to Define Scaffolding: Building the Bridge Untangling Complex Text: A Commonsense Approach Scaffolding in Action: Practices That Support Learning Build Background Knowledge to Make Learning Stick Final Thoughts Chapter 3. How Do We Engage All Students in Reading and Writing? Starting With Reading: The Importance of Audience and Purpose Audience and Purpose in Writing Final Thoughts Chapter 4. How to Go Deeper: Creating Analytical Thinkers A Case of Aliteracy: The Bubonic Plague Deepening Understanding Through Critical Literacy A Critical Look at Close Reading Final Thoughts Chapter 5. Why Evidence Matters: From Text to Talk to Argument Paideia Seminars: A Focus on Evidence Paideia Seminars and Struggling Students Problem- and Project-Based Learning: Using Evidence The Project Realized: Envisioning the Future Fair The Advantages of Project-Based Learning Final Thoughts Chapter 6. How Using Diverse Media and Formats Can Ignite Student Learning The Scope of Technology in an Inquiry-Based Classroom Preparing for Reading and Writing: Interpreting Material in Diverse Formats Speaking and Listening: Technology and Student Presentation Final Thoughts Chapter 7. Why a Culture of Reading Is Critical--and How to Create One A Culture of Reading: How It Supports the CCSS The Workshop Approach: Does It Meet the Standards? Understanding Perspectives: A Piece of the Portrait Literature Circles: Sharing Perspectives Do Literature Circles Meet the Standards? Creating a Culture of Literacy in a Middle School Final Thoughts Chapter 8. What Do We Do About the Language Standards? What Do We Do About Grammar? What Do We Do About Vocabulary? Final Thoughts Afterword by Sharon M. Draper Appendix A. Standards for Motivation and Engagement With Teacher Tools Appendix B. Books for . . . Lists References Index About the Authors

"I have read two books that give me hope that the CCSS may improve both teaching and learning, especially for struggling readers and writers. This book, written by ReLeah Lent and Barry Gilmore, is one of those two books (the other was written by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues). . . . So, read this book and then begin to adapt your instruction in the manner described so artfully." -- Richard L. Allington, Professor of Education "This is a very helpful and very timely book. Lent and Gilmore provide a very smart yet workable and commonsense approach to not only engaging struggling learners, but then assisting them through collaborative activity in a meaningful context of use to greater facility as readers and writers, speakers, and listeners. The approach will certainly help teachers help their students to meet the next generation of standards and assessments, but also so much more than that." -- Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Professor of Education and Director "Common Core CPR is a powerful text. . . . [It] offers commonsense suggestions for successful work with the standards in all classrooms, especially with students who struggle. Using an interdisciplinary approach to literacy, the authors do not view the standards as isolated skills to teach, but as natural outcomes as they scaffold learning." -- Sharon Draper, Author of Panic and Tears of a Tiger "Finally! A practical and comprehensive guide for teachers who want to ensure that the needs of all students are met in this age of Common Core Standards, including reluctant and struggling readers and writers. Thank you, ReLeah Lent and Barry Gilmore, for helping ease one our greatest fears about the Common Core--that struggling students will struggle even more." -- Deborah Appleman, Author of Critical Encounters in High School English, Second Edition