Enhanced "Common Sense For Common Core" Website Provides Information And Resources For Educators And Parents

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, today announced the upgrade and redesign of its popular Common Core State Standards website for teachers, school leaders and parents, called "Common Sense for Common Core." The enhanced site offers expert videos focusing on Common Core themes, an easy-to-use product finder tool, grade-leveled book lists for nonfiction and literature, and access to expert advice to help teachers and administrators implement the Common Core at school and parents encourage learning at home.

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As part of the site redesign, Scholastic has brought together a number of authors and teachers to validate the resources that will best serve users' needs. The site also provides access for educators and parents to some of the leading experts on Common Core instruction and leadership – from Dr. Ruth Culham, President of The Culham Writing Company, to Dr. David Dockterman, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Chief Architect of Learning Sciences at Scholastic, to Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert, President and CEO of TextProject, Inc.

"By collaborating with top experts and authors, we are able to provide clarity about the standards and guide parents and teachers to books and other resources to ensure that all children are ready to meet the Common Core requirements,"  said Suzanne McCabe, Editor-at-Large. "Throughout the year we will add relevant resources and professional development supports to help educators implement the standards effectively, as well as more book lists and resources to help parents support their children's continued learning at home."

Highlights of the site, www.scholastic.com/commoncore include:

• Expert Videos – Educational videos from leading experts and authors covering such topics as text complexity and growth mindset are available for access anytime. Videos include:
  • Meredith and David Liben, Why Text Complexity Matters
  • Phyllis C. Hunter, Helping All Children Become Successful Readers
  • Andrea and Brian Pinkney, Creativity in the Common Core Classroom
  • Dr. David Dockterman, Fostering a Growth Mindset in Struggling Students
• Get Answers – A team of 17 expert educators specializing in technology, writing, math, early literacy and special education will answer questions about the Common Core from parents, teachers and administrators. Experts include Pam Allyn, Executive Director of LitLife & LitWorld, Dr. Julie Washington, Professor of Educational Psychology and Special Education at Georgia State University, and Sue Gendron, Senior Fellow at the International Center for Leadership Education (ICLE). All questions will be archived and posted for future reference. Questions can include: "Where can I get paired literary and nonfiction texts that will interest my high schooler?" and "My fourth grade son needs more practice with his math skills. I know that he has to do more to improve, but how can I prevent him from becoming frustrated?"
• Nonfiction and Literature Book Lists – Sortable Common Core book lists for grades K-12, curated by librarians and reading experts, help teachers go beyond the "exemplars" in Appendix B of the Common Core and find nonfiction text types arranged according to themes and a literature list arranged according to genres – from historical fiction to poetry to drama.
• Improved Product Finder – Research-based programs that will help students develop the reading comprehension and fluency skills needed to be college and career ready and to thrive in an ever-changing world. Scholastic's Common Core-ready offerings provide skill assessment tools and a range of products for Grades K-12 designed to meet the new standards and foster a love of learning.
• Common Core Basics – A starting point for teachers and parents to learn and understand the Common Core State Standards, the site includes basic information about which states have adopted the standards, a glossary of key words and phrases that have a meaning unique to the Common Core, and the most up-to-date information on implementing the Language Arts and Math standards.
• Free Resources for Educators – Educators can find tips on how to craft effective evidence-based questions, download Common Core lesson plans and watch video introductions to the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
• Books to Read at Home – Reading at home helps children succeed in the classroom. A list of our experts' favorite books for grades 1-8 helps parents choose texts to read at home with their children. All titles are available in the Scholastic Store.
• Ways to Connect – The "Common Sense for Common Core" website helps educators and parents find Common Core conversations on Twitter and Facebook, and aggregates content from frizzle, Scholastic's blog on education, and Scholastic Administr@tor magazine, an essential resource for education leaders on technology, best practices, assessments and leadership strategies.

For more information about Scholastic, visit our Media Room: http://mediaroom.scholastic.com

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SOURCE Scholastic