The CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy and the CA ELD Standards call for all students to become critical
readers, listeners, and viewers. The NGA/CCSSO (2010a, viii) and CDE (2013b, 6) recognize this
important aspect of meaning making in the following instructional outcome:
Students are engaged and open-minded—but discerning—readers and listeners. They
work diligently to understand precisely what an author or speaker is saying, but they also
question an author’s or speaker’s assumptions and premises and assess the veracity of
claims and the soundness of reasoning.Indeed, being able to comprehend as well as critique is
one of the capacities of the literate individual described in
the introduction to this framework. Students make progress
toward this vision of literacy throughout their years of
schooling. Thus, teachers of fourth and fifth graders ensure
that students have the skills to engage meaningfully with
texts, media, and peers and that they are critical thinkers
as they do so. They consider intent and point of view of the
source. They look for evidence an author, media source, or
speaker uses to support a claim or point, and they identify
and analyze logical fallacies.
Teachers closely monitor students’ abilities to make meaning, and they ensure students monitor
their own understanding as they read. Ongoing assessment of meaning making is crucial as meaning
making is the very purpose of teaching the language arts, and it is fundamental for achievement of
the goals discussed in the introduction and chapter 2 of this ELA/ELD Framework and displayed in
the outer ring of figure 5.1: students develop the readiness for college, careers, and civic life; attain
the capacities of literate individuals; become broadly literate; and develop the skills for living and
learning in the 21st century. Formative assessment takes a variety of forms. Skilled teachers gather
information as they observe students during instruction, conference with students about texts they are
reading, and carefully review their responses to texts, media, and peers. They adapt their instruction
in the moment and in their planning of subsequent lessons. They prepare and deliver differentiated
instruction in order to address the needs and advance the learning of each of their students. (See
chapter 8 of this ELA/ELA Framework for more information on formative assessment and chapter 9 for
more information on differentiation.)
Meaning Making with Complex Text
Fourth graders are provided scaffolding as needed to
engage meaningfully with literary and informational texts at
the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band whereas
by the end of grade five, students do so independently and
proficiently. As discussed in chapter 2 and noted in each
grade-span chapter, text complexity is determined on the
basis of quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the text
as well as on reader (including motivation, experiences, and
knowledge) and task considerations.
In terms of quantitative measures of complexity,
suggested ranges of multiple measures of readability for the
grades four and five complexity band recommended by the
NGA/CCSSO are provided in figure 5.3.Importantly, fourth- and fifth-
grade EL students deepen
their language awareness by
analyzing and evaluating the
language choices made by
writers and speakers.Fourth graders are provided
scaffolding as needed to
engage meaningfully with
literary and informational
texts at the high end of the
grades 4–5 text complexity
band whereas by the end
of grade five, students do so
independently and proficiently.400 | Chapter 5 Grades 4 and 5