The implementation of Common Core Standards means we have to rethink what we are teaching and how we teach it. Children are expected to dive deeper into more challenging texts, especially informational texts, right from the start of their school years. This book shows you how to create powerful connections that can strengthen primary-grade studentsAE literacy skills while deepening their content knowledge. In her down-to-earth style, Jennifer Altieri takes a closer look at what the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for the English Language Arts require of our students, and then provides scores of practical strategies you can use to incorporate the reading, writing, and thinking skills inherent in the CCSS across content areas and throughout the school day. She focuses especially on helping you teach from informational texts effectively with your students. In these pages, youAEll learn How and why powerful content connections are necessary, and how you can start making those powerful connections today The crucial role of informational texts, and how to determine which informational texts are best for your students How foundational skillsusuch as concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluencyuconnect to the overarching goal of creating content area connections Ways to assess text complexity with the texts you use in your classroom, as well as ideas for addressing the needs of every learner individually What it means to really know a term, and how to help students use vocabulary knowledge to increase word knowledge Strategies for nurturing students from learning to write to writing to learn.