A 2016 Look At Common Core Ela Standards Poem by Terence George Craddock

why were the ill-conceived
Common Core ELA Standards
seriously flawed because
theory demanded all students

learn primarily through reading

the core theory stated
''Students build knowledge
about the world (domains/
content areas) through TEXT

rather than the teacher or activities.''
an absolute denial of experiential
learning the need of some students
to learn best through and by doing

students also learn through home
environment in a cultural context
from family friends local events
internet media films dramas news

the Common Core ELA standards
were not research based and there was
no evidence to support absurd claims like...
''These sources [video, podcasts…], while

not without value, cannot capture the nuance,
subtlety, depth, or breadth of ideas developed
through complex text. As Adams (2009) puts it,
''There may one day be modes and methods

of information delivery that are as efficient
and powerful as text, but for now there is
no contest... '' ~ '' Common Core State
Standards Appendix A (p4) printed page rules

denies visual impact a picture worth a thousand words

another problem is this theory of text
primacy rules out Rote learning
the power of an entire class focused
engaged together in learning lessons

a memorization technique based
on repetition the method rests
on the premise that the recall
of repeated material becomes

faster the more one repeats it
learning through this method is
inclusive engages weak students
instead of isolating learning

difficulties of self conscious
students with lower self esteem
sounding out group vowels words
works as a basic reading skill

the TEXT supremacy claim ignores
''the nuance, subtlety, depth, or breadth
of ideas developed through complex text''
cannot be learned if a student is unable

to read at a basic level sound out
simple words in a simple sentence
these students cannot absorb ideas
in compound complex sentences

they cannot understand cannot read

Common Core ELA Standards
'is a contrived set of learning standards'
aggrandized 'concocted in the mind
of David Coleman to express his

passion for close reading' to prepare
'students for his ideal and imaginary
world where all knowledge is derived
from text and the answers to all problems

are text-based.' yes I share Coleman's
passion for depth reading but learning
must engage students of all abilities
at their level inspire with appropriate

learning tools at their level
education is a complex multilevel
process teach with passion
education learning techniques

can be fiercely debated with
opinion new fashion theories
replacing claimed dated old
fashioned theories truth lies

in the saying too many cooks
spoil the broth too many
unproven education theories
ill based can undermine an

entire test education group
this happened in England in
the 1960s a theory to make girls
stories interest texts dominant

to exclude boys interests texts
war adventure etc; the result girls
learned regardless excelled
reading learning from male

texts because girls possess
an innate ability to surpass
most male learning with ease
but boys literary forced to read

sowing cooking playing
with dolls stories bored
failed in mass a lost test

male generation theme doomed


Terence George Craddock (Afterglows Echoes Of Starlight)
Copyright © Terence George Craddock