Your Literacy Standards Companion, Grades 6-8. Jim Burke

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

      Common Core Reading Standard 4: What the Student Does

      Literature

       6 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, taking into consideration both their figurative and connotative meanings, and how a specific word choice affects the meaning and tone of the text.Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning or tone of a text?Which words have different figurative or connotative meanings?How does the author’s choice of words affect the meaning and tone of the text?

       7 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, taking into consideration both their figurative and connotative meanings, and how rhyme and other repeated sounds (e.g., alliteration) affect a particular part (verse, stanza, or section) of a poem or story.Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning or tone of a text?Which words have different figurative or connotative meanings?How does the use of rhyme or other repeated sounds affect the poem or story?

       8 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, taking into consideration both their figurative and connotative meanings, and how the author’s use of specific words, analogies, or textual allusions affects the meaning or tone of the text.Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning or tone of a text?Which words have different figurative or connotative meanings?How does the author’s use of specific words, analogies, or allusions to other texts contribute to the meaning and tone?

      Informational Text

       6 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, taking into consideration both their figurative and connotative meanings, as well as their specialized or disciplinary meaning.Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning or tone of a text?Which words have different figurative or connotative meanings?Which words are used according to their technical meaning in this context?

       7 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, taking into consideration their figurative, connotative, and technical meanings, and how specific word choices affect the meaning and tone.Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning or tone of a text?Which words have different figurative, connotative, and technical meanings?How does a specific word choice contribute to the meaning or tone?

       8 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, taking into consideration their figurative, connotative, and technical meanings, and how the author’s use of specific words, analogies, or allusions affects the meaning and tone of the text.Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning or tone of a text?Which words have different figurative, connotative, and technical meanings?How does a specific word choice contribute to the meaning or tone?

      Reading Standards: Craft and Structure

      Reading 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

      History/Social Studies

       6 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

       7 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

       8 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

      Science/Technical Subjects

       6 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.

       7 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.

       8 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics.

      Source: Copyright © 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

      Common Core Reading Standard 4: What the Student Does

      History/Social Studies

       6 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, noting also any discipline-specific terms used in history or social studies texts.Which words or phrases contribute most to the meaning of a text?Which words are unique to the discipline you are studying?What does that word or phrase mean in the context of this text?

       7 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, noting also any discipline-specific terms used in history or social studies texts.Which words or phrases contribute most to the meaning of a text?Which words are unique to the discipline you are studying?What does that word or phrase mean in the context of this text?

       8 Gist: Figure out what words and phrases mean in context, noting also any discipline-specific terms used in history or social studies texts.Which words or phrases contribute most to the meaning of a text?Which words are unique to the discipline you are studying?What does that word or phrase mean in the context of this text?

      Science/Technical Subjects

       6 Gist: Figure out the meaning of pivotal and discipline-specific words and phrases, and symbols used in grades 6–8 scientific or technical texts.Which key words or phrases must you understand to comprehend this text?Which symbols are essential to know when reading this type of text?What does this domain-specific word or phrase mean in this context?

       7 Gist: Figure out the meaning of pivotal and discipline-specific words and phrases, and symbols used in grades 6–8 scientific or technical texts.Which key words or phrases must you understand to comprehend this text?Which symbols are essential to know when reading this type of text?What does this domain-specific word or phrase mean in this context?

       8 Gist: Figure out the meaning of pivotal and discipline-specific words and phrases, and symbols used in grades 6–8 scientific or technical texts.Which key words or phrases must you understand to comprehend this text?Which symbols are essential to know when reading this type of text?What does this domain-specific word or phrase mean in this context?

      Common Core Reading Standard 4: What the Teacher Does

       To have students interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, do the following:

       Direct students’ attention to the words, phrases, and other details (captions, diagrams, images) in a sentence and those around it. Point out the ways authors add details to clarify the meaning of words: definition clues such as explanations, synonyms, phrases, and clauses; restatement of the word or phrase (e.g., In other words); contrast or antonym clues that help define what a word means by using words that mean the exact opposite; other clues such as typography, proximity to images, and the author’s general tone.

       Tell students that not all words can be understood through context clues; help them see where context clues can confuse.

       Complete a think-aloud while reading to the class to show how you puzzle out a word or phrase using syntactic, semantic, typographic, etymological, and other types of information to decipher words.