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The Common Core Companion: Booster Lessons, Grades K-2
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The Common Core Companion: Booster Lessons, Grades K-2
Elevating Instruction Day by Day

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October 2015 | 288 pages | Corwin

You can find hundreds of literacy lessons in hundreds of places—but none of them will do for students what the ones in this book do. What’s the magic bullet? Potent integration.

In this much-anticipated sequel to the K-2 Common Core Companion, Janiel Wagstaff provides an ample supply of connected lessons you can use as booster shots when your students are in need of a good dose of integrated, standards-aligned reading and writing instruction. 

Divided into five weeklong learning sequences, the 50 lessons span the ELA standards, bringing a Monday-through-Friday clarity to the sometimes mysterious process of skill-building through demonstrations and practice. Follow each sequence and week by week, you’ll build the instructional potency to help students achieve a year’s worth of growth as you integrate: 

  1. Writing Narratives with Identifying Sensory Words in Text
  2. Research with Identifying Topic and Details
  3. Opinion Writing with Close Reading for Text Evidence
  4. Comparing and Contrasting with Publishing Using Digital Tools
  5. Informative Writing with Use of Text Features 

Each of the 50 lessons is eminently dippable. But if you want to do more extended instructional planning, there are lots of additional tools—including lists of mentor texts, and If/Then and Extending-the-Work charts—within the book and on the companion website: www.corwin.com/commoncorecompanion. 


 
Introduction
 
Lesson Sequence 1: Integrating Writing Personal Narratives With Identifying Sensory Words in Text
What Teachers Guide Across the Week

 
What Students Do Across the Week

 
Booster Reading Lesson 1: Narrative Reading

 
Companion Writing Lesson 1: Quick Sketch Retelling

 
Booster Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading, Brainstorm Topics, Tell Stories

 
Companion Writing Lesson 2: Story Planning

 
Booster Reading Lesson 3: Narrative Reading

 
Companion Writing Lesson 3: Review Story Plan, Add Onomatopoetic Element(s), Begin Drafting

 
Booster Reading Lesson 4: Compare Narrative Readings

 
Companion Writing Lesson 4: Continue Drafting, Connect Anchor Chart to Our Own Writing

 
Booster Reading Lesson 5: Poetry Reading

 
Companion Writing Lesson 5: Quick Write Noisy Poems, Finish Stories, Share, Celebrate

 
A Snapshot of the Talk-It-Out Strategy

 
Kindergarten Adaptation

 
Second-Grade Adaptation

 
 
NEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Story Planning

 
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Personal Narrative

 
Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students’ Learning

 
Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts

 
If/Then Chart

 
Mentor Texts

 
Extending the Work

 
 
Lesson Sequence 2: Integrating Research to Build and Present Knowledge With Identifying Topic and Details
What Teachers Guide Across the Week

 
What Students Do Across the Week

 
Booster Reading Lesson 1: Viewing Media to Begin Information Gathering and Discussion

 
Companion Writing Lesson 1: Jot Topic and Details Using Interactive Writing

 
Booster Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading, Comparing Sources

 
Companion Writing Lesson 2: Informal Opinion Drawing and Writing

 
Booster Reading Lesson 3: Narrative Reading to Increase Background Knowledge

 
Companion Writing Lesson 3: Interviewing and Opinion Writing

 
Booster Reading Lesson 4: Reading and Discussing Our Fourth-Grade Partners’ Opinions

 
Companion Writing Lesson 4: Interactive Writing to Record Data

 
Booster Reading Lesson 5: Reading Mentor Texts for Parts of a Letter

 
Companion Writing Lesson 5: Interactive Writing to Inform About and Present Knowledge

 
A Snapshot of the Varied Writing Modes

 
First-Grade Adaptation

 
Second-Grade Adaptation

 
 
NEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
What Do I See? A Kindergarten Opinion Sample

 
What Do I See? Another Kindergarten Opinion Sample

 
Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students’ Learning

 
Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts

 
If/Then Chart

 
Mentor Texts

 
Extending the Work

 
 
Lesson Sequence 3: Integrating Opinion Writing With Close Reading for Text Evidence
What Teachers Guide Across the Week

 
What Students Do Across the Week

 
Booster Writing Lesson 1: What Is an Opinion?

 
Companion Reading Lesson 1: Re-Identify Elements of the Text Type Using a Mentor Text

 
Booster Reading Lesson 2: Deeply Understanding a Text to Stimulate Opinion Writing

 
Companion Writing Lesson 2: Revisiting the Text to Quick Jot Opinion Notes, Followed by Collaborative Conversation

 
Booster Reading Lesson 3: Charting Character Development and Character Traits

 
Companion Writing Lesson 3: Organizing Our Opinions With Thinking Boxes

 
Booster Reading Lesson 4: Studying Mentor Texts: Concluding Opinions

 
Companion Writing Lesson 4: Completing Thinking Boxes and Drafting Opinions

 
Booster Reading Lesson 5: Exploring Multiple Forms and Purposes for Opinion Writing

 
Companion Writing Lesson 5: Completing and Reviewing Drafts, Sharing, Celebration and Delivering Opinions to the School Librarian OR Finish Writing and Celebrate!

 
A Snapshot of Moving From Opinions About Texts to Opinions About Topics

 
Kindergarten Adaptation

 
First-Grade Adaptation

 
 
NEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Opinion Writing

 
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Thinking Boxes

 
Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students’ Learning

 
Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts

 
If/Then Chart

 
Mentor Texts

 
Extending the Work

 
 
Lesson Sequence 4: Integrating Comparing and Contrasting With Publishing Using Digital Tools
What Teachers Guide Across the Week

 
What Students Do Across the Week

 
Booster Reading Lesson 1: Reading Narrative Text

 
Companion Writing Lesson 1: Jot Sticky Note Details

 
Booster Reading Lesson 2: Reading Informational Text

 
Companion Writing Lesson 2: Jot Sticky Note Details Then Compare and Contrast

 
Booster Reading Lesson 3: View Short Video Clips to Build Knowledge

 
Companion Writing Lesson 3: Jot Sticky Note Details Then Compare and Contrast

 
Booster Reading Lesson 4: Which Ideas Are Most Important? Sort and Categorize

 
Companion Writing Lesson 4: Organizing Ideas With Thinking Boxes

 
Booster Writing Lesson 5: Compose Shared Text, Celebrate With Photo Story

 
Companion Reading Lesson 5: Mentor Text: Picture Glossaries

 
A Snapshot of Comparing and Contrasting With Narrative Text

 
Kindergarten Adaptation

 
Second-Grade Adaptation

 
 
NEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
What Do I See? A Sample of Shared Writing

 
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Thinking Boxes

 
Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students’ Learning

 
Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts

 
If/Then Chart

 
Mentor Texts

 
Extending the Work

 
 
Lesson Sequence 5: Integrating Informative Writing With Use of Text Features
What Teachers Guide Across the Week

 
What Students Do Across the Week

 
Booster Reading Lesson 1: Reading With Purpose and an Eye for Evidence

 
Companion Writing Lesson 1: Two-Column Notes

 
Booster Reading Lesson 2: Close Reading of Media: Caine’s Arcade Video 1

 
Companion Writing Lesson 2: Revisit Media and Add to Two-Column Notes

 
Booster Reading Lesson 3: Close Reading of Media: Sections of Caine’s Arcade Video 2

 
Companion Writing Lesson 3: Two-Column Note Additions, Organizing Notes, Talking Out Caine’s Story

 
Booster Reading Lesson 4: Study Mentor Texts: Newsela Newspaper Articles

 
Companion Writing Lesson 4: Compose Headlines, Headings, and Begin to Draft

 
Booster Reading Lesson 5: Exploring Deeper Meanings: Caine’s Arcade Updates and Conversation

 
Companion Writing Lesson 5: Finish Draft, Peer Check, Teacher Conference, Publish! (will require several writing periods)

 
A Snapshot of Using Volunteers to Help Students Prepare to Publish

 
Kindergarten Adaptation

 
First-Grade Adaptation

 
 
NEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Informative Writing

 
What Do I See? A Student Sample of Two-Column Notes

 
Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students’ Learning

 
Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts

 
If/Then Chart

 
Mentor Texts

 
Extending the Work

 
 
Integrating Foundational and Language Standards
 
References

Supplements

"Like an amazing orchestra conductor, Janiel Wagstaff makes reading and writing instruction symphonic. She shows teachers how to lead their young learners each day, with teaching strategies and routines that develop students’ oral language, comprehension, and writing skills. Teachers and coaches in the primary grades have been waiting for a big book of lessons like this, and whew, here it is. Proof that K-2 literacy instruction can be developmentally appropriate and potent at the same time."

Sharon Taberski
Author of The Common Core Companion: K-2 and Comprehension from the Ground Up

"I almost love this book as much as Janiel Wagstaff herself. What a treasure trove of daily lessons! Wagstaff provides a blueprint for teachers that will definitely make their lives easier. Any reading teacher interested in inspiring students to become more passionate and adamant readers needs this book."

Dr. Danny Brassell
Author of 75+ Reading Strategies

“With personal insights and energy, Janiel Wagstaff provides effective and powerful demonstrations for how to link reading and writing instruction. She discusses ways to make writing more personal, and provides clear minilessons that work. Whether you are an experienced educator or new to the profession, you will appreciate these daily lessons that are certain to boost your students’ reading and writing abilities.”

 

Jan Richardson
Author of the Next Step in Guided Reading

“With personal insights and energy, Janiel Wagstaff provides effective and powerful demonstrations for how to link reading and writing instruction. She discusses ways to make writing more personal, and provides clear minilessons that work. Whether you are an experienced educator or new to the profession, you will appreciate these daily lessons that are certain to boost your students’ reading and writing abilities.”

Maria Walther
Author of Transforming Literacy Teaching in the Era of Higher Standards

“Janiel thinks of everything! The reading and writing lessons are classroom-tested, engaging, and you can practically see and hear the young learners 'getting it'. The 'goods' that make it workable in any classroom include mentor texts, student writing  samples, master teacher tips, IF/THEN support for a range of learning outcomes, lesson extensions, and suggestions for differentiation. A welcome resource, providing step-by-step method for introducing the Common Core standards to primary grade students.” 

 

Wiley Blevins
Author of Phonics from A-Z

"This book makes me particularly hopeful.  It is grounded in sound research and theory, but is wholly practical and accessible.  It lays out a clear mandate (too long lost) to have students communicate as much as possible like experts in a discipline. It encourages teachers to join students in probing the capacity of each discipline, in its own way, to help students think, inquire, solve problems, collaborate—and answer the question, “What is life, and who am I in it?” This is Disciplinary Literacy encourages us as teachers to rediscover the complexities teaching and learning and to reinvent our classrooms, ourselves, and our students."

CAROL ANN TOMLINSON
professor at Curry School of Education, University of Virginia
Key features
  • Provides 25 Reading lessons and 25 companion writing lessons linked to CCSS/ELA standards addresses both fiction and nonfiction.
  • Features 50 core literacy practices every K-2 teacher should use
  • Each sequence includes a formative assessment Writing task and benchmark student work.
  • Each sequence includes assessment tools, including model feedback, checklists, if/then charts and Extending the Learning lesson ideas
  • Student work can be downloaded and used as mentor texts
  • Online glossary of core practices, student writing, graphic organizers, and more

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