3 Key Ideas For Parents About The Common Core

 

Thinking Deeply: The Common Core emphasizes critical thinking.  It requires students to analyze more, discuss more, evaluate more, justify more and explain their thinking & understanding deeply, especially in writing.  Take-Away: Really thinking deeply is hard.  Let it BE hard, help them talk it out.

 

Integrating Learning: The Common Core emphasizes learning across disciplines (reading with math & social studies standards combined into one task).  Students spend more time working together with different settings, structure & tools.  Take-Away: Problems & solution happen everyday in the real world.

 

Showing How They Know: The Common Core emphasizes proof & evidence.  Long gone are the days of worksheets, fact memorizations and skill & drill.  Students are not taught this way and they are not accessed this way.  Take-Away: The new tests will require students to explain how they know.

 

Supporting The Common Core At Home

 

1. Ask why when your children tell you they want something or want to do or not do something
2. Use the word because after “No” or “Not tonight…”
3. Give reasons–you to them and them to you.
4. Encourage questions & explore answers (especially questions whoe answers are not yes or no).
5. Explain & discuss issues or problems in your house, neighborhood & community.  Brainstorm solutions.
6. Compare how things are alike and different–videos, movies, food, etc.
7. Look for patterns
8. Describe & categorize stuff.
9. Tell your children what you value and why.
10. Encourage & celebrate opinions.