Literature and the Common Core

The Common Core standards’ emphasis on informational text has left many ELA instructors concerned that they will have to eliminate many fiction classics from their curriculums. A recent article in the Huffington Post  illustrates the confusion and concern many English teachers have expressed. As lovers of literature, you want to ensure that your students are exposed to a broad range of great literature, but you're ultimately bound to the standards imposed by your districts. Despite assurances that other subject area teachers will be responsible for incorporating informational text to allow English teachers more time for literature, many English teachers feel the responsibility for meeting reading standards will ultimately fall on them.

Reading Literature, a new series from Prestwick House, was created to help teachers simplify the transition to Common Core. By providing a dozen poems and short stories along with questions that address specific Common Core standards, Prestwick House is helping English teachers continue offering a range of great literature in the time they have allotted. In the time it would take to read a single novel, students can be exposed to the works of a dozen authors. The pointed questions, which reference the particular standard being addressed, assist busy teachers with lesson planning during this confusing period.