Common Core Blast off Tip of the Week

The Florida Department of Education is excited to share weekly tips about the Common Core State Standards.

 English Language Arts

Elementary School

Students in second grade should be able to explain how specific images, such as a diagram showing how a machine works, help a reader understand informational text more clearly.  Be sure students focus on these types of features in text and can explain the story or article.

English Language Learners
For students learning English point out how distinct features, such as photos, varied print size and color, glossary and index, explain the meaning of a passage.

Student with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may need assistance processing visual images. Teachers may need to draw students’ attention to key aspects of images, diagrams, and charts (via highlighting, outlining, using arrows, etc.).  They may also reduce visual distractions by isolating the information presented and covering portions of the images or covering other information on the page.

Mathematics

Elementary School

Kindergarten students should be able to identify shapes as two-dimensional, “flat,” such as squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons; or three dimensional, “solids” such as cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres.