S9 E2: Standards are the 'what' and curriculum is the 'how,' with Sue Pimentel

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Sep 18, 2024

Join Sue Pimentel, the lead writer of the Common Core State Standards for ELA, as she shares her insights on literacy in education. She breaks down the critical role of text complexity and advocates for knowledge building as essential for equity in learning. Sue questions the effectiveness of leveled readers, noting the importance of returning to research for true comprehension. The conversation emphasizes integrating rigorous content to prepare students for life and highlights the interconnectedness of reading and writing in fostering a richer educational experience.

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INSIGHT

Core Standards' Key Focuses

Common Core standards emphasize knowledge building and college and career readiness.
They highlight the importance of both literary and informational texts for content access.

INSIGHT

Complex Text Replaces Leveling

Level texts are replaced by complex texts with teacher support in Common Core.
Complex text needs scaffolding, not just handing out harder books to tougher readers.

INSIGHT

Understanding Text Complexity

Text complexity includes quantitative, qualitative, and reader considerations.
Knowing students and their prior knowledge guides how to teach complex texts.

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In this episode, Susan Lambert welcomes back Sue Pimentel to discuss the history and impact of the Common Core State Standards on English Language Arts and Literacy (ELA) education in the United States. Susan and Sue revisit what the standards were designed to focus on: knowledge building, college and career readiness, and fluency in both literary and informational texts. Their conversation covers the importance of text complexity, the lack of a research base to support leveled readers, and knowledge building as a matter of equity and content as a matter of access. While acknowledging the value of these standards, the discussion also highlights their limitations. Sue underscores the importance of always returning to the research to ensure students are truly learning, preparing them to navigate the world and ultimately, live happier lives.

Show notes:

Website: Knowledge Matters Review Tool
Listen: Season 4, Episode 5: Reading as liberation with Sue Pimentel
Read: “Standards Are Not Curriculum”
Website: Knowledge Matters Campaign

Quotes:
“Vocabulary is how we describe concepts; it's how we know how to talk to one another.” —Sue Pimentel

“What the standards say is, ‘Leveled texts are out and complex texts are in.’ There's no research behind assigning a level to students reading and then sort of imprisoning them in that.” —Sue Pimentel

“The more stuff you know, the better you're able to navigate the world….and I think the happier life is. And certainly the happier kids' lives are when they're actually learning stuff.” —Sue Pimentel

Episode timestamps*
02:00 Looking Back at the Common Core State Standards for ELA
04:00 Knowledge Building and Text Evidence
08:00 Text Complexity and College Readiness
14:00 Standards Organization
23:00 Collaborative Effort in Standards Development
26:00 Integrating Standards into Instruction
26:00 The Importance of Contextual Learning
27:00 Challenges with Early Curriculum Implementation
31:00 Standards vs. Curriculum
35:00 The Role of Knowledge Building in Literacy
50:00 Final Thoughts and Advice
*Timestamps are approximate, rounded to nearest minute