Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K-5

Maria G. Dove, EdD, is professor in the School of Education and Human Services at Molloy University, Rockville Centre, New York. She teaches preservice and inservice teachers about the research and best practices for implementing effective instruction for English learners, and she supports doctoral students in the EdD program in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities.  Before entering the field of higher education, she worked for over thirty years as an English-as-a-second-language teacher in public school settings (Grades K–12) and in adult English language programs in the greater New York City area. She frequently provides professional development for educators throughout the United States on the teaching of multilingual learners. She also serves as a mentor for new ESOL teachers as well as an instructional coach for general-education teachers and literacy specialists. With Andrea Honigsfeld, she has coauthored multiple best-selling Corwin books, including Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K–5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), and Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6–12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader’s Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018). Along with other Corwin top-named authors, she coauthored Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learner Success (2020). In addition, she coedited, Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012) and Co-Teaching for English Learners: Evidence-Based Practices and Research-Informed Outcomes (2020) published by Information Age. With Audrey Cohan and Andrea Honigsfeld, she coauthored Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014) published by Corwin and Team Up, Speak Up, Fire Up: Educators, Students, and the Community Working Together to Support English Learners (2020) published by ASCD. Andrea Honigsfeld, EdD, is professor in the School of Education at Molloy College, Rockville Centre, New York. Before entering the field of teacher education, she was an English-as-a-foreign-language teacher in Hungary (Grades 5–8 and adult) and an English-as-a-second-language teacher in New York City (Grades K–3 and adult). She also taught Hungarian at New York University. She was the recipient of a doctoral fellowship at St. John’s University, New York, where she conducted research on individualized instruction. She has published extensively on working with multilingual learners and teacher collaboration. She received a Fulbright Award to lecture in Iceland in the fall of 2002. In the past 22 years, she has been presenting at conferences across the United States, China, Denmark, Japan, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.She coauthored Differentiated Instruction for At-Risk Students (2009) and coedited the five-volume Breaking the Mold of Education series (2010–2013), published by Rowman and Littlefield. She is also the coauthor of Core Instructional Routines: Go-To Structures for Effective Literacy Teaching, K–5 and 6–12 (2014), Growing Language and Literacy (K-8 and 6-12, 2019, 2024 respectively) published by Heinemann. With Maria G. Dove, she coedited Coteaching and Other Collaborative Practices in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Rationale, Research, Reflections, and Recommendations (2012), Co-Teaching for English Learners: Evidence-Based Practices and Research-Informed Outcomes (2020), Portraits of Collaboration: Educators Working Together to Support Multilingual Learners (2022), and coauthored Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Strategies for English Learners (2010), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades K–5: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Common Core for the Not-So-Common Learner, Grades 6–12: English Language Arts Strategies (2013), Beyond Core Expectations: A Schoolwide Framework for Serving the Not-So-Common Learner (2014), Collaboration and Co-Teaching: A Leader’s Guide (2015), Co-Teaching for English Learners: A Guide to Collaborative Planning, Instruction, Assessment, and Reflection (2018), Collaborating for English Learners: A Foundational Guide to Integrated Practices (2019), and Co-Planning: 5 Essential Practices to Integrate Curriculum and Instruction for English Learners (2022). She is a contributing author of Breaking Down the Wall: Essential Shifts for English Learner Success (2020), From Equity Insights to Action (2022), Digital-Age Teaching for English Learners (2022), Collaboration and Co-Teaching for Dual Language Learners: Transforming Programs for Multilingualism and Equity (2023), Breaking Down the Monolingual Wall: Essential Shifts for Multilingual Learners’ Success (2024), Collaboration for Multilingual Learners With Exceptionalities: We Share the Students (2024), Collaborative Assessment for Multilingual Learners and Teachers: Pathways to Partnerships (2025), and  Nine Dimensions of Scaffolding for Multilingual Learners (2026). Ten of her Corwin books are bestsellers.

"No stone was left unturned in this text. All the best researchers and practitioners are included in this clear, succinct guide which unpacks the Standards and gives outstanding suggestions for best literacy practice. Each anchor standard in all five domains is fully explained with practical, engaging activities that can add fun and learning to any classroom. Readers will feel supported and energized for the challenges ahead, with a toolkit for meeting the needs of all learners."

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Authors1. IntroductionWho Are Our Not So Common Learners?The Standards MovementCommon Core AdvancesApplication of the Common Core to Address Individual DifferencesStudent Diversity and Teacher ChallengesWhat Is Not Covered in the Common Core DocumentFocus on Research-Based Strategies to Address Learning Needs2. Strategies for Academic Language DevelopmentWhy Diverse Learners Need Explicit Instruction in Academic Language?Core Language and Vocabulary StrategiesVocabulary Acquisition and UseKnowledge and Application of LanguageConventions of Standard EnglishAnticipated OutcomesInstructional ChallengesPromising Classroom PracticesCommon Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey Resources3. Reading Strategies for LiteratureWhy Teaching Diverse Learners Reading Strategies Promotes Comprehension of Literary TextsCore Reading StrategiesKey Ideas and DetailsCraft and StructureIntegration of Knowledge and IdeasRange of Reading and Level of Text ComplexityAnticipated OutcomesInstructional ChallengesPromising Classroom PracticesCommon Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey Resources4. Reading Strategies for Informational TextsWhy Teaching Diverse Learners Reading Strategies Promotes Comprehension of Informational TextsCore Reading StrategiesKey Ideas and DetailsCraft and StructureIntegration of Knowledge and IdeasRange of Reading and Level of Text ComplexityAnticipated OutcomesInstructional ChallengesPromising Classroom PracticesCommon Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey Resources5. Reading Foundational SkillsWhy Explicit Instruction in Basic Literacy Skills is Necessary?Core Reading StrategiesPrint ConceptsPhonological AwarenessPhonics and Word RecognitionFluencyAnticipated OutcomesInstructional ChallengesPromising Classroom PracticesCommon Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey Resources6. Writing StrategiesWhy Explicit Strategy Instruction Improves the Writing of Diverse LearnersCore Writing StrategiesText Types and PurposesProduction and Distribution of WritingResearch to Build and Present KnowledgeRange of WritingAnticipated OutcomesInstructional ChallengesPromising Classroom PracticesCommon Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey Resources7. Speaking and Listening StrategiesWhy Speaking and Listening Skills Improve the Overall AcademicDevelopment of Diverse LearnersCore Speaking and Listening StrategiesComprehension and CollaborationPresentation of Knowledge and IdeasAnticipated OutcomesInstructional ChallengesPromising Classroom PracticesCommon Core Standards—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey Resources8. Key to Successful Implementation: Collaborative StrategiesWhy Collaborative Practices Help Meet the Common CoreCore Collaborative StrategiesInstructionalCurriculum Mapping and AlignmentJoint Instructional PlanningParallel TeachingCo-developing Instructional MaterialsCollaborative AssessmentCo-teachingNoninstructionalJoint Professional DevelopmentTeacher ResearchJoint Parent-Teacher Conferences and Report Card WritingPlanning, Facilitating, and Participating in Extracurricular ActivitiesAnticipated OutcomesChallengesCommon Core Collaborations—(Un)Common Reflection QuestionsKey ResourcesReferencesIndex