Thinking Deeply: The Common Core emphasizes critical thinking.  It requires students to analyze more, discuss more, evaluate more, justify more and explain their thinking & understanding deeply, especially in writing.  Take-Away: Really thinking deeply is hard.  Let it BE hard, help them talk it out.

Integrating Learning: The Common Core emphasizes learning across disciplines (reading with math & social studies standards combined into one task).  Students spend more time working together with different settings, structure & tools.  Take-Away: Problems & solution happen everyday in the real world.

Showing How They Know: The Common Core emphasizes proof & evidence.  Long gone are the days of worksheets, fact memorizations and skill & drill.  Students are not taught this way and they are not accessed this way.  Take-Away: The new tests will require students to explain how they know.

• Ask why when your children tell you they want something or want to do or not do something.
• Use the word because after “No” or “Not tonight…”
•  Give reasons–you to them and them to you.
•  Encourage questions & explore answers (especially questions whoe answers are not yes or no).
•  Explain & discuss issues or problems in your house, neighborhood & community.  Brainstorm solutions.
•  Compare how things are alike and different–videos, movies, food, etc.
•  Look for patterns
•  Describe & categorize stuff.
•  Tell your children what you value and why.
• Encourage & celebrate opinions.