Cutting to the Chase of Comprehension

As most of us started teaching, long before anyone talked about standards or tried to measure our effectiveness with a single snapshot test, our biggest concern was what should we be teaching.  What is the course of study for their grade? How can I adapt and modify the materials so that all students will get the content they should know and be ready for the next grade level.

Fast forward a few years...we find ourselves in the middle of a transition to the Common Core Standards.  The standards give us answers to only one question, what should the students be able to do at the end of the course. While this question is central to teaching, it is not the only question that needs to be answered.   As we work together to uncover and expand on the unknowns of the Common Core, the document does hold information to help us create a map of what we can do and focus our time, collaborative conversations, and lessons on.

(The following list was gleaned from the verbs and word phrases from the introduction of the Common Core State Standards)
What the standards DO value in reading comprehension
close attentive reading
critical reading
reasoning and use of evidence
comprehend, evaluate, synthesize
understand precisely
question
cite specific evidence
evaluate others' point of view
reading independently and closely