the subgenres of exposition, argument, and functional text in the form of personal essays,
speeches, opinion pieces, essays about art or literature, biographies, memoirs, journalism, and
historical, scientific, technical, or economic accounts (including digital sources) written for a
broad audience.- Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational
The standards place a premium on students writing to sources, i.e., using evidence from texts
to present careful analyses, well-defined claims, and clear information.The standards expect
students to answer questions that depend on their having read the text or texts with care.
They also require the cultivation of narrative writing throughout the grades, and in later grades
a command of sequence and details are essential for effective argumentative and informational
writing.
Likewise, the reading standards focus on students’ ability to read carefully and grasp
information, arguments, ideas, and details based on text evidence. Students should be able to
answer a range of text-dependent questions, questions in which the answers require inferences
based on careful attention to the text. - Regular practice with complex text and academic language
The CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy highlight the growing complexity of the texts students must read
to be ready for the demands of college and careers. The standards build a staircase of text
complexity so that all students are ready for the demands of college- and career-level reading
no later than the end of high school. Closely related to text complexity—and inextricably
connected to reading comprehension—is a focus on academic vocabulary words: words that
appear in a variety of content areas.
Criteria for Materials and Tools Aligned to the Standards
In addition to the shifts noted above, the Revised Publishers’ Criteria for the Common Core State
Standards in English Language Arts and Literacy, Grades 3–12 (Publishers’ Criteria) (Coleman and
Pimentel 2012b) have identified some major indicators of quality that instructional resources and
tools should exhibit. These areas are summarized below without their full explanation. For fuller
explanations, see the Publishers’ Criteria at http://www.corestandards.org/assets/PublishersCriteria
for_3-12.pdf.
Key Criteria for Text Selection- Text Complexity: students read increasingly complex texts with growing independence as they
progress toward career- and college-readiness.
a. Texts for each grade align with the complexity requirements outlined in the standards.
b. All students (including those who are behind) have extensive opportunities to encounter
grade-level complex text.
c. Novels, plays, poetry, other extended full-length texts, and text in multimedia are also
provided for close reading opportunities.
d. Shorter, challenging texts that elicit close reading and re-reading are provided regularly at
each grade.
e. Additional materials aim to increase regular independent reading of texts that appeal to
students’ interest while developing both their knowledge base and joy in reading. - Range and Quality of Text:
a. In grades 6–12, ELA programs shift the balance of texts and instructional time towards
reading an increasing amount of literary nonfiction and informational text.
1026 | Chapter 12 Criteria for Instructional Materials