Maureen McLaughlin and Brenda J. Overturf's book, The Common Core: Teaching Students in Grades 6-12 to Meet the Reading Standards, was a text that I found tediously repetitive. Part two is about teaching the common core standards for reading. It includes a chapter for each anchor standard. Each of these chapters includes an explanation of each anchor standard. It looks at the literature, informational texts, history/social studies and science and technology. If you want to read the standards horizontally and vertically, this book includes them in both orientations. They then approach how to teach the standard, 21st century skill applications of the standard, integrating the stand with other ELA standards, a section on the common core in action ad references. Unfortunately there are sections that are repeated verbatim in each chapter. I would like to think that professionals do not need that level of reinforcement.
They offer some fantastic examples of graphic organizers that are completed. page 172, for example offers a "Determining an Author's Purpose Organizer." It has a space for central idea, facts and language choices that support those facts. Unfortunately you need to buy another book or recreate them to get blank copies. They have rough outlines of lesson sets to teach the information but this is often sketchy and general. More specific lesson details would be helpful in demonstrating what the "action" would look like. The way it is written lacks any specificity.
The book left me feeling incomplete. Perhaps it would be useful if someone read pieces as opposed to the entire book.
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