Hudson Valley Parent

The Common Core WHAT EVERY PARENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT CHANGES IN THE CLASSROOM A " EVEN BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE COMMON CORE, WE KNEW THAT PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE DEMANDS OF COLLEGE AND CAREERS REQUIRED SETTING A SOLID FOUNDATION IN SKILLS SUCH AS READING COMPREHENSION AND WRITING." ~Christine Willig, Senior vice president of products at McGraw-Hill School Education. cross the country, parents are beginning to notice that today's classroom looks quite different from what they experienced in their own school days. From personalized learning technologies to new educational standards, teachers and administrators are using a variety of tools to ensure students are better prepared to succeed than ever before. In this era of innovation in education, this school year will be particularly exciting, in part because states will be piloting assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards, the new set of kindergarten through twelfth grade national educational standards designed to improve students' readiness for college and future careers. So just what do these changes mean for your kids? Shift to new standards The new standards are broken up by subject matter and grade level. These standards are a way to clearly communicate what is expected from students at each grade level. The goal in creating the common core standards is to get students, parents and teachers on the same page and working together to ensure each student is prepared to succeed in college and the workforce. Utilizing technology Schools nationwide are finding new ways to provide individually tailored lessons that meet the Common Core State Standards, 18 Hudson Valley Parent September 2013 often relying on a new generation of technology that help students learn and succeed at their own pace. McGraw-Hill Education's Reading Wonders is one such tool. Available in both digital and print formats, it is the first kindergarten through sixth grade core reading program designed specifically for the new standards. "Even before the advent of the Common Core, we knew that preparing students for the demands of college and careers required setting a solid foundation in skills such as reading comprehension and writing," said Christine Willig, senior vice president of products at McGraw-Hill School Education. "When the new standards emphasize the importance of these skills, we saw an opportunity to build an entirely new program that would address the Common Core requirements by leveraging recent research about how children learn, using cutting-edge digital tools." Personalized learning Education research has shown that instruction becomes more effective when tailored to students' unique learning styles and needs. However, as classrooms continue getting bigger delivering that sort of individual attention to students becomes more difficult. With this in mind, Reading Wonders was built using entirely new educational technology, offering interconnected platforms personalized for students and teachers and accessible across any device.

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