Now more than ever it is important our students learn to be proficient readers and writers, not just because we live in a high-stakes testing environment dependent upon it, but because to be successful in a 21st century global society, it's a must!
Proficient readers and writers need proficient instructional experiences. So, what keeps both from occurring?
First, the adoption of the Common Core State Standards has created a marketing nightmare. Many resources with supposed Common Core aligned reading and writing models are merely repackaged versions of the same ole same ole. For example, many high school classrooms have purchased new CCSS aligned textbooks. The problem is the stories are outdated and irrelevant to students. Most of the questions require minimal higher level thinking, which is in direct opposition to the Common Core standards. Likewise, many marketed CCSS model units for elementary lack focus and cohesiveness, posing far too many texts and writing tasks for students to experience during a relatively short amount of time. Though they may have a new look, many of the strategies and processes are recycled. I'm wondering, if districts or schools are depending on marketers to determine the literacy experiences for their classrooms, who is learning to think and make decisions about appropriate literacy experiences for our students? Given the above, who is learning to think, period?
The Common Core State Standards have assigned new names to writing modes, which has created confusion for many teachers who view these as new genres. For instance the CCSS designates opinion writing for grades K-5 and argumentative writing for grades 6-12. If we focus on the purpose for writing, both opinion and argumentative writing are for the purpose of persuading an audience. The argumentation is less of an emotional appeal and more of a logical appeal based on evidence with an acknowledgement of the opposing view. If we will connect to our prior knowledge and use what we know about a genre to help us move forward with new versions, it is much less stressful than starting over for both teachers and students.
Lastly, I regularly witness literacy skills and processes taught in isolation. Spelling and grammar have no context within the domain of what students are reading and writing. Often students are reading one genre while attempting to learn to write in another. It is critical students understand the relationship between reading and writing. The relationship is symbiotic. Students learn to write by understanding how authors use language, construct sentences and paragraphs, organize text, develop ideas, etc,
Students learn more from authors than they do from assigned worksheets and writing prompts. After all, what modeling exists in an assignment. There could be, of course, that is if teachers provided a writing sample of their own with an accompanying rubric, which is something I encourage teachers to do. But, even then, the writing isn't authentic if it comes from a "cookie cutter, " one size fits all prompt.
The best writing will occur when students read a variety of authentic narrative, informational, opinion and argumentative texts, and thus, have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the elements of reading as they are related to writing.
Therefore, it is essential schools and districts design curriculum maps which do align reading and writing genres during the same blocks of time with careful thought given to the course content and texts that would be appropriate during that time frame. Furthermore, there needs to be sufficient time for mastery of the genre before moving on. In our frantic desire to cover curriculum we are moving so quickly from one task to another, one genre to another, one process to another, that we are failing to master anything. We accept at best, a mediocre understanding by a certain percentage of students. So now I've come full circle. Why is it difficult to create a culture where proficient readers and writers is the norm?
Would love to hear your thoughts!
