Young Adult Literature: Making the Common Core Text Exemplars Accessible to Middle Graders

Abstract

The Common Core State Standards are driving the profession toward more cross–disciplinary teaching. The standards themselves address the what of curriculum rather than the how, but they do offer text exemplars for different grade levels. While some find the exemplars too difficult, others see them as worthwhile texts that, with a teacher’s guidance, push students to higher levels of reading, background knowledge, and lifelong literacy skills. This article mentions multiple texts and discusses their specific value in the classroom.