Adjusting your curriculum to address Common Core standards is not easy. According to a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, the Common Core standards are substantially different from previous state standards, not only in curriculum but in the cognitive skills they demand. Common Core focuses on higher order skills, like “understanding and analyzing written material,” rather than “memorization and performing procedures.” To help with these higher order skills, take a look at five ways Imagine Learning can bring the Common Core into your classroom curriculum.
- One-on-one grammar instruction: Because so many children—and adults—struggle with grammar, the Common Core places an important emphasis on this aspect of literacy. Imagine Learning Version 12 offers scores of new grammar activities, with instruction on proper nouns, pronouns, be verbs, and more. Students observe and analyze various sentence structures, looking for patterns, until they understand each grammar rule.
- Informational texts: While most students enjoy reading stories and fairy tales, informational texts can be harder to grasp. Imagine Learning Version 12 includes dozens of new informational texts to help students meet the rigorous Common Core standards. Because text features like headings, the table of contents, and glossary words hold so much meaning, students are taught how to recognize and analyze these features to answer tough comprehension questions.
- Listening comprehension lessons: Your newcomers and English learners may find the new Common Core curriculum more difficult if they struggle with listening comprehension. Imagine Learning Version 12 prepares these students for several Common Core standards as well as English proficiency tests, like CELDT and ACCESS, by introducing a dozen new listening comprehension activities. Using the metacognitive strategy of selective attention, students improve their listening comprehension by focusing on important words and phrases within sentences and short paragraphs.
- Extra guided practice: You may find that there simply aren’t enough hours in the school day to cover all the new curriculum. With Imagine Learning Version 12, that’s not a problem. Using the new Play@Home feature, students can continue to learn and practice Common Core curriculum long after the bell rings. Using a safe and secure home connection, students can now receive the same individualized instruction they get at school anywhere, anytime.
- Individualized curriculum: Just as the Common Core standards may be vastly different from your state’s previous standards, every student needs different instruction to prepare to meet these standards. Don’t spend your students’ precious time going over concepts they’ve already mastered. And don’t spend your valuable time assessing and evaluating every student’s individual needs. Allow Imagine Learning Version 12 to do the work. With the enhanced TruePlacement™ test, Version 12 is able to assess and predict your students’ curriculum needs faster than ever before—leaving more time for real instruction.
To learn more about Imagine Learning Version 12 and how it addresses dozens of new Common Core standards, click here.