The Common Core Companion: Booster Lessons, Grades K-2

JANIEL WAGSTAFF is a popular national literacy consultant and K-6 English Language Arts Coordinator/Literacy Coach for her school district. She's been an educator for 26 years and relishes her everyday work with teachers and students. Along the way, she's written numerous instructional books for teachers and the picture book series Stella Writes. You can connect with Janiel on Facebook at "Janiel¿s Literacy Wall," follow her blog at janielwagstaff.blogspot.com, or join her on Twitter: @janielwagstaff.

Each of the 50 lessons is eminently dippable. But if you want to do more extended instructional planning, there are lots of additional tools-including lists of mentor texts, and If/Then and Extending-the-Work charts-within the book and on the companion website: corwin.com/commoncorecompanion.

IntroductionLesson Sequence 1: Integrating Writing Personal Narratives With Identifying Sensory Words in Text What Teachers Guide Across the Week What Students Do Across the Week Booster Reading Lesson 1: Narrative Reading Companion Writing Lesson 1: Quick Sketch Retelling Booster Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading, Brainstorm Topics, Tell Stories Companion Writing Lesson 2: Story Planning Booster Reading Lesson 3: Narrative Reading Companion Writing Lesson 3: Review Story Plan, Add Onomatopoetic Element(s), Begin Drafting Booster Reading Lesson 4: Compare Narrative Readings Companion Writing Lesson 4: Continue Drafting, Connect Anchor Chart to Our Own Writing Booster Reading Lesson 5: Poetry Reading Companion Writing Lesson 5: Quick Write Noisy Poems, Finish Stories, Share, Celebrate A Snapshot of the Talk-It-Out Strategy Kindergarten Adaptation Second-Grade AdaptationNEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS What Do I See? A Student Sample of Story Planning What Do I See? A Student Sample of Personal Narrative Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students' Learning Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts If/Then Chart Mentor Texts Extending the WorkLesson Sequence 2: Integrating Research to Build and Present Knowledge With Identifying Topic and Details What Teachers Guide Across the Week What Students Do Across the Week Booster Reading Lesson 1: Viewing Media to Begin Information Gathering and Discussion Companion Writing Lesson 1: Jot Topic and Details Using Interactive Writing Booster Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading, Comparing Sources Companion Writing Lesson 2: Informal Opinion Drawing and Writing Booster Reading Lesson 3: Narrative Reading to Increase Background Knowledge Companion Writing Lesson 3: Interviewing and Opinion Writing Booster Reading Lesson 4: Reading and Discussing Our Fourth-Grade Partners' Opinions Companion Writing Lesson 4: Interactive Writing to Record Data Booster Reading Lesson 5: Reading Mentor Texts for Parts of a Letter Companion Writing Lesson 5: Interactive Writing to Inform About and Present Knowledge A Snapshot of the Varied Writing Modes First-Grade Adaptation Second-Grade AdaptationNEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS What Do I See? A Kindergarten Opinion Sample What Do I See? Another Kindergarten Opinion Sample Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students' Learning Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts If/Then Chart Mentor Texts Extending the WorkLesson Sequence 3: Integrating Opinion Writing With Close Reading for Text Evidence What Teachers Guide Across the Week What Students Do Across the Week Booster Writing Lesson 1: What Is an Opinion? Companion Reading Lesson 1: Re-Identify Elements of the Text Type Using a Mentor Text Booster Reading Lesson 2: Deeply Understanding a Text to Stimulate Opinion Writing Companion Writing Lesson 2: Revisiting the Text to Quick Jot Opinion Notes, Followed by Collaborative Conversation Booster Reading Lesson 3: Charting Character Development and Character Traits Companion Writing Lesson 3: Organizing Our Opinions With Thinking Boxes Booster Reading Lesson 4: Studying Mentor Texts: Concluding Opinions Companion Writing Lesson 4: Completing Thinking Boxes and Drafting Opinions Booster Reading Lesson 5: Exploring Multiple Forms and Purposes for Opinion Writing Companion Writing Lesson 5: Completing and Reviewing Drafts, Sharing, Celebration and Delivering Opinions to the School Librarian OR Finish Writing and Celebrate! A Snapshot of Moving From Opinions About Texts to Opinions About Topics Kindergarten Adaptation First-Grade AdaptationNEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS What Do I See? A Student Sample of Opinion Writing What Do I See? A Student Sample of Thinking Boxes Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students' Learning Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts If/Then Chart Mentor Texts Extending the WorkLesson Sequence 4: Integrating Comparing and Contrasting With Publishing Using Digital Tools What Teachers Guide Across the Week What Students Do Across the Week Booster Reading Lesson 1: Reading Narrative Text Companion Writing Lesson 1: Jot Sticky Note Details Booster Reading Lesson 2: Reading Informational Text Companion Writing Lesson 2: Jot Sticky Note Details Then Compare and Contrast Booster Reading Lesson 3: View Short Video Clips to Build Knowledge Companion Writing Lesson 3: Jot Sticky Note Details Then Compare and Contrast Booster Reading Lesson 4: Which Ideas Are Most Important? Sort and Categorize Companion Writing Lesson 4: Organizing Ideas With Thinking Boxes Booster Writing Lesson 5: Compose Shared Text, Celebrate With Photo Story Companion Reading Lesson 5: Mentor Text: Picture Glossaries A Snapshot of Comparing and Contrasting With Narrative Text Kindergarten Adaptation Second-Grade AdaptationNEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS What Do I See? A Sample of Shared Writing What Do I See? A Student Sample of Thinking Boxes Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students' Learning Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts If/Then Chart Mentor Texts Extending the WorkLesson Sequence 5: Integrating Informative Writing With Use of Text Features What Teachers Guide Across the Week What Students Do Across the Week Booster Reading Lesson 1: Reading With Purpose and an Eye for Evidence Companion Writing Lesson 1: Two-Column Notes Booster Reading Lesson 2: Close Reading of Media: Caine's Arcade Video 1 Companion Writing Lesson 2: Revisit Media and Add to Two-Column Notes Booster Reading Lesson 3: Close Reading of Media: Sections of Caine's Arcade Video 2 Companion Writing Lesson 3: Two-Column Note Additions, Organizing Notes, Talking Out Caine's Story Booster Reading Lesson 4: Study Mentor Texts: Newsela Newspaper Articles Companion Writing Lesson 4: Compose Headlines, Headings, and Begin to Draft Booster Reading Lesson 5: Exploring Deeper Meanings: Caine's Arcade Updates and Conversation Companion Writing Lesson 5: Finish Draft, Peer Check, Teacher Conference, Publish! (will require several writing periods) A Snapshot of Using Volunteers to Help Students Prepare to Publish Kindergarten Adaptation First-Grade AdaptationNEXT INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS What Do I See? A Student Sample of Informative Writing What Do I See? A Student Sample of Two-Column Notes Authentic Assessment: Ideas for Evaluating Students' Learning Peer Power: Using Student Work as Mentor Texts If/Then Chart Mentor Texts Extending the WorkIntegrating Foundational and Language StandardsReferences