Making the Common Core Standards Within Reach for All Young Students

A quick search on the Internet reveals many concerns with the Common Core, and the challenge it presents for English Language Learners (ELLs) and English as a Second Language (ESL) students is a big one. These students, along with other Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students and struggling readers, are expected to quickly learn the material that is being tested with the rest of their class, but how can they be successful if they don’t understand the language being used to teach it?

What is the Common Core?

The Common Core State Standards Initiative, developed by state education officials and governors with input from teachers, parents, and school administrators, began in 2009 and has been adopted in forty-three states and the District of Columbia, as well as in four territories and by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). The goal of this initiative is to educate children in grades K-12 in the areas of English language arts/literacy and mathematics to help prepare them for college, careers, and life following high school. The Common Core provides the standards on what students should achieve by the end of each grade level, and the schools and teachers determine the best way to help them succeed. Student success is measured by assessments currently determined by each state, although common assessments are in development.

How Does GrapeSEED Fit in with the Common Core?

Before children can be successful in reaching the Common Core standards at each grade level, they must be able to understand and communicate using the English language. GrapeSEED helps all English learners, including ELL/ESL students and other LEP students and struggling readers. Every student, from at-risk to high-achieving, can benefit from the program, making Common Core standards achievement a possibility for each of them.

GrapeSEED’s student-centered, deeply interactive instruction incorporates the Common Core vision and invites students to:

• Acquire word meanings and word-learning strategies through listening, speaking, and reading
• Participate in substantive discussions and connect with the ideas of others
• Read closely and critically, form opinions, and develop habits of mind

GrapeSEED provides a strong foundation in the English language that promotes literacy development and fosters the confidence children need to succeed, not only in school, but in life. Contact us to learn more about GrapeSEED and how it can help your students.