Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

Question: How do the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) encourage the use of reading and writing across the curriculum?

 [Note: A detailed listing of these Common Core State Standards (K-12, CCSS) appeared in this blog, English Updates from March through July 2010. To see the guidelines, click on 2010 in the Archive Section on the left of the current blog, then click on March, April, May, June and July for my reviews of individual standards. In general, I was impressed with the standards for English, K-12. RayS. ]

Answer: Essentially, this NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Policy Brief responds to content teachers’ expected objections to participating in reading and writing across the curriculum. I’m not certain that I agree with the NCTE’s responses to the expected objections, but they are worth reviewing.

A few successful strategies might make reading and writing across the curriculum more appealing to content teachers (math, science, home economics, social studies, and even shop and phys-ed).

Short writing assignments with minimal grading will overcome the objection that content teachers must grade stacks of long writing assignments.

Use a variety of different kinds of texts—essays, primary sources, fiction, reports, etc. , instead of a single textbook.

Comment: I don’t think these responses to expected content teachers’ objections will persuade full participation by content teachers in reading and writing across the curriculum. But it’s a start in dealing with the problem. I think these suggestions are simplistic. RayS.

Title: “Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum.” Policy Research Brief Produced by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Council Chronicle: The National Council of Teachers of English (March 2011), 15-18.