# data[].attributes.body
https://teachlikeachampion.org/blog/draft-rigor-checklist/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Draft Rigor Checklist, Teach Like a Champion

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Rigor is a word we use a lot—we know our lessons need it, but sometimes it’s hard to define… doubly so if you’re new to the profession.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/how-to-add-rigor-to-anything/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
by Terry Heick

Rigor is a fundamental piece of any learning experience.

It is also among the most troublesome due to its subjectivity. What does it mean? What are its characteristics? Rigorous for whom? And more importantly, how can you use to promote understanding?

Barbara Blackburn, author of "Rigor is not a 4-Letter Word," shared 7 'myths' concerning rigor, and they are indicative of the common misconceptions: that difficult, dry, academic, sink-or-swim learning is inherently rigorous.
Myth #1: Lots of Homework is a Sign of Rigor
Myth #2: Rigor Means Doing More
Myth #3: Rigor is Not For Everyone
Myth #4: Providing Support Means Lessening Rigor
Myth #5: Resources Equal Rigor
Myth #6: Standards Alone Take Care Of Rigor
Myth #7: Rigor Is Just One More Thing To Do Why Rigor Matters
Rigor matters because it imposes cognitive load on students, forcing them to confront misconceptions, reconsider positions, separate the implicit from the explicit, and other critical thinking practices that distinguish shaky familiarity from true understanding.

As such, it's different for every student. If students can't consistently negotiate rigorous tasks, either understanding or thinking habits should be more closely examined. But if work is beyond their Zone of Proximal Development, students are only being setup for disengagement, frustration, and ultimately failure.

10 Strategies To Add Rigor To Any Lesson, Unit, or Assessment
Several common classroom tasks are inherently rigorous, including reading idea-dense literature, taking notes, and using the writing process itself, but these are rarely engaging, and don't always fit with a given academic standard or task. But the following ten strategies can be used to add rigor to almost anything.
1. Necessitate a transfer of understanding
By definition, transfer requires a student to apply knowledge in new and unfamiliar situations, an inherently rigorous process. If you can encourage self-initiated transfer (unprompted or coached), all the better.
2. Require students to synthesize multiple sources
In rigorous tasks, learners will often need to synthesize data, positions, or theories from multiple sources or perspectives. Whether these are literary perspectives, scientific viewpoints, religious ideas, mathematical theories, or any other fundamentally subjective content, when learners have to analyze, internalize, and reconcile multiple perspectives to create a new position or perspective, rigor is a safe bet.
3. Design tasks with multiple steps that build cognitively
Not all tasks that require multiple steps are inherently rigorous ( fill out the worksheet, turn it in, read the book, answer the questions, talk to your partner about your answers and turn them in is neither a unique or rigorous approach to learning).

If the tasks build (somewhat parallel to Bloom's Taxonomy), rigor is more likely. In this approach, a student might define "conflict," analyze cause-effect of a specific conflict, research the sources of said conflict, then design some kind of short-term solution to one critical cause of said conflict. This approach starts simple, becomes more complex, and is likely to challenge any student no matter how "proficient" their understanding.
4. Use divergent perspectives
Use authors, philosophers, artists, content experts, or other thinkers who make authentic cases of their own that offer contrasting perspectives. Not only does this encourage argument analysis, credibility, etc., but also models how elusive and illusory "truth is," a rigorous idea of its own.
5. Use divergent media forms
Rather than two (or more) texts, require students to analyze a conversation, a poem, and a tweet; a YouTube video, an encyclopedia resource, and an interview with an expert. The more (seemingly) awkward and divergent, the more learners are challenged to develop new strategies to find solutions.
6. Break away from content-area convention
Use literature to frame math. Use science to promote political discussions. Extract the philosophy from cartoons. Find poetry in the stars. Use Google Earth to make sociological observations. These approaches force students to revise schema for new situations, a key characteristics of rigor.
7. Require design thinking (often in project-based learning)
Build design thinking into rubrics or scoring criteria, supply exemplars, or model their use, but whatever you do, be sure that elements of design thinking, creativity, and the "tinker culture" aren't just "encouraged" but required for the student to find success.
8. Require long-term observation or analysis
Another potential use of project-based learning or learning simulations, when students are required to observe long-term, cognitive actions such as identifying patterns, cause-effect analysis, and problem-solution thinking are natural by-products.
9. Study nuance
Nuance is often overlooked, and offers a world of rigor due to the unique thinking habits it requires.
10. Require students to take and defend positions
This can be done first in small groups, then socialized to larger groups (hopefully outside the classroom). A 'position' requires a kind of cognitive ownership that is not only indirectly engaging, but also intellectually stimulating and even emotionally demanding, requiring students to think "Why?" as much as "What?," "When?," and "Where?"
Rigor is Always Accessible
As Strong, Silver, and Perini explain in "Teaching What Matters," rigor is a "quality of content, not a measure of the quantity of the content we cover." Certain content areas may be more inherently rigorous than others (Astrophysics comes to mind), but rigor can be added to anything.

Watch an episode of Spongebob, have students reconcile Patrick's presumptions about friendship with Whitman's ideas on the rugged individual, ask students to study the nuance of Spongebob's body language and speech patterns over the course of several episode to reveal patterns, then require them to socialize their thinking in small groups to present a new theory on interpersonal relationships from America's inception to today. You've used #s 2, 4, 5, and 10.

The above is a purposefully absurd idea, but the premise is clear: Rigor is always accessible. For more information, read our post: 5 Guiding Questions To Evaluate Rigor In A Curriculum.
Image attribution North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and flickr user woodleywonderworks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Certain tasks are inherently rigorous, including reading idea-dense content, debate, using the writing process and even note-taking.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.theliterarymaven.com/2017/04/creative-english-language-arts-lessons.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about out of the box teaching ideas in the ELA classroom. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed interesting fiction and nonfiction pairings. Teachers also shared creative activity and projects that are both fun and rigorous.

Read through the chat below to see how other teachers are getting creative in their classrooms. You'll get text recommendations that you've likely never heard of. You'll also find unusual ways to get students out of their seats.

Hope you'll join us on Tuesday April 11th to discuss speaking and listening skills in the ELA classroom. We'd also love for you to join our 2ndaryELA Facebook group (even if you aren't on Twitter). 2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. This group is an extension of our Twitter chat and a place for collaboration, questions, and encouragement. Feel free to post teaching ideas, success stories, resource links, photos, etc. that will enhance our instruction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Literary Maven: Out Of The Box Teaching Ideas: Bring Creativity Back Into Your ELA Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Have your lessons have lost their spark? Are you searching for some creative inspiration? This #2ndaryELA Twitter chat was all about out of the box teaching ideas in the ELA classroom. Middle school and high school English Language Arts teachers discussed interesting fiction and nonfiction pairings.

# data[].attributes.body
https://teachingwithamountainview.com/digging-deeper-teaching-inference-in-upper-elementary/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Teaching inference is an important skill. Of course, by the time they reach upper elementary, many students are familiar with it, but it's such a critical one and one that we can continue to hone and develop throughout our entire lives. So whether I'm teaching third or fifth grade, I like to review and extend this critical reading concept every year, all year!

Making inferences is something that all good readers do. Helping students learn to intentionally make inferences as they read will make them stronger readers, as well as help them focus throughout the text. So, how do we get students to go deeper than the obvious when teaching inference in upper elementary? I break teaching inference down into 4 steps.

Step 1: What's the difference between Literal and Inferential?

I always start by activating students' prior knowledge and building on the inferencing skills they've already developed in lower elementary. Typically I like to equate making an inference to making a hypothesis in science class.
Before you do an experiment, you look at all these factors and you decide what you think will happen using logic and evidence. You have to ask yourself what happens when you mix these components and what evidence you have that this reaction would be consistent.
This is the same when you make an inference in English class. The conclusions you draw in your head lie inside the story as you read, whether you realize it or not.

I teach my students to "collect evidence" for inferences as they read, which also helps guide students toward making accurate inferences instead of just guesses. In lower elementary grades, a lot of inferences are drawn from clues in the illustrations or very basic clues like weather clues and specific adjectives the writer uses.

As we move into the upper grades, students need to pay closer attention to the text itself. One tip is to pay attention to small vocabulary differences. For example, did the author tell us the character was sad or was the character devastated? Did someone speak with clenched fists, tears stinging at their eyes? Did someone's eyes grow wide? As students begin to pay attention to these small details and specifically call out the inferences they are making based on them, their comprehension improves and the book becomes more of a "movie" in their minds.

This is also when I discuss the difference between literal and inferential observations. This is a crucial, not-to-be-missed step in teaching inferences that I feel can easily be overlooked. We MUST make sure our students understand the difference between a literal observation and how those literal observations lead up to make excellent inferences. Be sure to click the link above to see the lessons I use for teaching this, and when in doubt, START THERE when teaching inference!

Step 2: Practice Making Simple Inferences Using Pictures

Even though upper elementary students are familiar with making inferences, they still need opportunities to brush up on their inferencing skills. We always, always, always start by making inferences using pictures. The best way to get instant engagement is to have your students bring in pictures to make inferences about. It will be really easy at first... You will hear things like, "Oh, she's wearing a short-sleeved shirt, so it must be warm out!" but as those right there inferences are done, the really deep ones start to come out! We do this type of inferencing pretty extensively, and we do it all throughout the year, and I am constantly incorporating it into my literacy centers for review.

Don't forget about using wordless picture books to teach inference! After we do a lot of work with pictures, I move to wordless picture books. Two of my favorite pictureless books for teaching inference are and (Amazon affiliate links).

In addition to discussing inferences within texts students are already using during read alouds or guided reading, using shorter texts can make practice more efficient for independent practice.

I like to model and practice as a class first. I start by giving students a very basic paragraph scenario and asking them to make inferences about it. Sometimes there is one "best" answer that we discuss as the most correct inference, but other times there are lots of answers that could be correct (as long as it is logical and backed up by evidence). I love using these task cards to get students started.

Are you looking for a super consistent way to review? I love how people use "inference of the day" as a daily challenge for students! Leslie from LaLaTeacherLife shared this image of how she uses them every single day! I have an entire year-long bundle of inference task cards that you can use to accomplish this. There are different cards and riddles for each season, which students just LOVE!

Step 3: Draw Out Specific Ideas from a Text to Analyze

Once we've worked with brief texts and pictures to make inferences, we begin working with longer texts as a class. When we are working in small groups, I start pulling out longer texts to make inferences with. I highlight areas of the text for students to analyze by doing a guided reading practice together. I make sure to model all of my thinking out loud and discuss why certain details jumped out at me. This is a great opportunity for students to ask questions and get clarity about what they are looking for.

Here is another great opportunity to incorporate picture books into your lessons! I chose four of my very favorite picture books for teaching inference and added guided inference questions for each of them. Although I can usually come up with decent inference questions on the fly, I really took the time to come up with specific, digging deeper inference questions to use with these books. These are NOT your average inference questions, and they are meant to be used with upper elementary. I provided them in either a discussion guide style or worksheet style if you'd like students to write their answers. 🙂

This differentiated pack of inference activities is great for independent practice. It is super scaffolded so you can use it in guided reading groups and then have students complete the tasks independently and without the scaffolding supports as well.

For upper elementary students, this is also a good time to discuss the elements of suspense and surprise compared to the students original inferences. We are often misled by authors to keep mystery alive in stories. This is a great place to talk about author intent as well as how authors can manipulate readers. For example, you can relate it to how J.K. Rowling kept Snape a mystery throughout the Harry Potter series.

Step 4: Independent Practice with Differentiation

The final step is to promote independent practice. Of course, we focus on making inferences with our novels ALL YEAR LONG, but I insist on incorporating specific inference practice as well. I do this with short differentiated texts that have been explicitly designed for students to make inferences with. For some students, it can also be helpful to provide sentence starters or sentence frames to form their inferences.

Inference Topple Blocks Game

I have blogged quite a bit about using Topple Blocks for review, and this one is no exception! It's super easy setup and super impactful for students. The premise is simple: they have to earn their turn! Roll the dice, and whichever color they roll is the color section they need to complete on the game board. Once they have answered one of the questions (ALL students in the group answer it so nobody is ever just sitting around and waiting), they confer to see if they agree on the answer, then the player gets to pull their block. See? Super easy, but FULL of inference practice!

You just need to purchase the blocks (Amazon affiliate link) and print out the Inference Topple Blocks Game. If you don't have topple blocks, no worries! I also provide ideas for how to use the games without any extra supplies HERE.

Inference Paired Passages

These inference paired passages are a MUST during our inference unit. I created them because it was so important to me that students were able to make connections between related texts, and they accomplish that exactly.

Inference Project Cumulative Activity

What better way to practice inferencing than a highly engaging and real-world inference project?! Your students will have a blast tagging along on a camping trip while practicing their inferencing skills along the way. Each activity reviews inferencing in a different way, allowing for easy differentiation. You can easily create different packets based on the ability of the different students in your class. It's perfect for small groups, centers, whole group work, morning work, homework, enrichment, etc. I usually use this at the end of our official inference unit as an assessment.

FREE Inference Lesson

Finally, here's a quick lesson you can use while teaching inference to help your students make observations from pictures using a simple chart.

Still looking for more? Here are links to previous inference posts!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Digging Deeper: Teaching Inference in Upper Elementary - Teaching with a Mountain View

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching inference is an important skill. Of course, by the time they reach upper elementary, many students are familiar with it, but it's such a critical one and one that we can continue to hone and develop throughout our entire lives.

# data[].attributes.body
https://teachargument.com/product-category/pop-culture/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pop Culture Lesson Plans Archives - Teach Argument

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We send thousands of teachers free lessons, resources, and generally awesome English-teacher-stuff all year long. Sign up below!

# data[].attributes.body
https://twitter.com/callmemswren/status/1297345265381384192

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
ACCOUNTABLE TALK posters are a fav in my room! I find my students peeking at them all the time until they build their conversational confidence. No question that these renderings will be placed in student folders AND posted in Google Classroom. #buildingaliteracycommunity

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
ACCOUNTABLE TALK posters are a fav in my room! I find my students peeking at them all the time until they build their conversational confidence. No question that these renderings will be placed in student folders AND posted in Google Classroom. #buildingaliteracycommunity https://t.co/4CPvXqbE20

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
ACCOUNTABLE TALK posters are a fav in my room! I find my students peeking at them all the time until they build their conversational confidence. No question that these renderings will be placed in student folders AND posted in Google Classroom. #buildingaliteracycommunity pic.twitter.com/4CPvXqbE20
— Christina Wren (@callmeMsWren) August 23, 2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
ACCOUNTABLE TALK posters are a fav in my room! I find my students peeking at them all the time until they build their conversational confidence. No question that these renderings will be placed in student folders AND posted in Google Classroom. #buildingaliteracycommunity https://t.co/4CPvXqbE20

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
ACCOUNTABLE TALK posters are a fav in my room! I find my students peeking at them all the time until they build their conversational confidence. No question that these renderings will be placed in student folders AND posted in Google Classroom. #buildingaliteracycommunity https://t.co/4CPvXqbE20

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
ACCOUNTABLE TALK posters are a fav in my room! I find my students peeking at them all the time until they build their conversational confidence. No question that these renderings will be placed in student folders AND posted in Google Classroom. #buildingaliteracycommunity

# data[].attributes.headline
Project Based Learning in the Virtual classroom 

# data[].attributes.subject
Project Based Learning in the Virtual classroom 

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.experientiallearningdepot.com/experiential-learning-blog/project-based-distance-learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Implement Project Based Distance Learning Experiences with Ease

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Self-directed project based distance learning experiences can be really powerful and is an awesome alternative to some other distance learning options such as worksheets. Mix up remote learning with self-directed PBL. Find out how right here!

# data[].attributes.body
https://peterpappas.com/2020/07/socratic-seminar-for-the-covid-classroom.html

# data[].attributes.body
https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2020/10/107-virtual-discussion-problems-try-this.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When it comes to in-person discussion, my go-to has always been Harkness. Teaching kids how to have a conversation, mostly without me, and then reflect on their own abilities and dynamics and improve after each day, has been one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching for me.

Did I mention I met my husband at the Exeter Humanities Institute, learning about Harkness?

Yes, it's an amazing method, and I've talked about it a lot here before ( like in this podcast episode, and this one). But, when it comes to a virtual discussion, a free-flowing conversation built upon eye contact, body cues, and slowly deepening relationships probably isn't the best.

Maybe your students are keeping their video feeds off. Maybe they aren't un-muting, even when you actually want them to. Virtual discussions are HARD.

But here's where Harkness does have something crucial to share. When it comes to getting kids to talk to each other in a Harkness circle, without much help from their teacher, discussion warm-ups are critical. Taking a few minute to get everyone thinking about the topics, perhaps writing or reading/watching/listening to a complementary piece and reflecting on it, is huge.

At the Exeter Humanities Institute, they'd often have us write one discussion question, throw it into a hat, and then pull someone else's out to ask during our conversation when it felt like the group was ready for a new topic. That way we automatically had something to say when a topic seemed to be dying out. Not only that, but it wasn't even our own question so we had no personal stake in how it went over. Very low pressure!

So am I suggesting we create a Google Slide with a hat on it where kids can drop and trade virtual discussion questions? No, not exactly. (Though that actually doesn't sound kind of cool). But if you want to have a live discussion online with your students, as opposed to using a message board, a backchat app, a Flipgrid response, or a Jamboard, getting them warmed up before you dive in will make a huge difference, just as it does with Harkness.

Here are five ideas for digital warm-ups you can start using immediately. You can listen in on the podcast player below, or on your player of choice, or just read on.

This episode is brought to you in affiliate partnership with Stitchfix. If you're feeling frustrated by your inability to safely shop for a comfortable, fun, cold-weather teaching wardrobe right now, Stitchfix can send it to your door. To give Stitchfix a try with $25 off your first purchase, you can join through my affiliate link right here. Personally, I'm loving it! My current favorite fall sweater (below) and cozy fall coat both came to my door in that signature Stitchfix package.

#1 Silent Discussion

This has always been one of my favorite discussion warm-ups. Normally I'd have students write a question at the top of their notebook, then pass it left, respond, pass, then read and respond, pass, then read and respond, etc. Then I'd open the discussion by asking someone to read their question. Since several kids would already have written responses and read others' responses, things usually picked up quickly.

This activity modifies easily to digital. You can create a collaborative question slide deck ( feel free to use these slide templates that I made for you). Then invite each student to add a question to the top of one slide and begin adding responses on others' slides. You can ask them to respond and read on maybe five slides, and then begin your class discussion based on the questions and answers they've already been exploring. If you make this a regular practice, the tech will soon seem simple to the kids. This could easily be a weekly practice. While I might change up discussion warm-ups pretty constantly in person, keeping clear expectations and patterns can be helpful online!

#2 Hexagonal Thinking

Hexagonal thinking is another engaging way to get kids thinking about key concepts and connections related to your reading. Warm up for discussion by giving them a list of terms and asking them to figure out how to connect them in a hexagonal web. Ask them to jot down explanations for three of their connections (or send three connection explanations to you, if you want to check for completion). Then after ten or fifteen minutes, start the conversation by asking someone to share what they connected and why. Invite kids to raise their hands (on video or in the chat) to share different or similar connections they made with those terms, and continue from there.

If you'd like to get my full editable digital hexagonal thinking toolkit with lots of examples and full instructions, I'm happy to send it your way! Just sign up for my Friday emails below, confirm your address, and then enjoy your toolkit.

#3 Social Media Snapshot

For this digital warm-up, tap into your students' love of social media and ask them to frame what's been happening in the reading through a social lens. Maybe they sketch out an Instagram reel, complete with musical choice, for whatever they think was the most important moment in the reading. Maybe they write five snarky tweets for a sarcastic main character, inventing hashtags along the way. Maybe they create a #booksnap ( learn all about them here!) for the chapter. Whatever it is, a dive into literary-themed social media will help them remember what they read and get ready to talk.

#4 Discussion Question Challenge

I invented this warm-up many years ago, in a moment of desperation. I wanted to get my students thinking outside the box, realizing there were a million ways to approach conversation around a reading. So I challenged them to a discussion question contest. I made white chocolate blueberry brownies and awarded them to the kids who came up with the most discussion questions for the reading. It was fifteen years ago now, but I want to say the winner of that first contest came up with about forty questions. A warm-up like this, where you challenge kids to come up with as many questions as they can in five or ten minutes, is an easy way to get them ready for a discussion! When it's time to get going, just invite someone to share their question.

#5 Collaborative Slideshow

You know how I feel about Google Slides - they're good for everything! A collaborative Google slideshow would make for an easy discussion warm-up. Give everyone in class a slide in the collaborative set, then ask them to put on whatever you think would help stoke your discussion. Maybe that looks like everyone putting their favorite quote, a related meme, and a discussion question on one slide, then perusing others. You could launch the discussion by inviting anyone to read someone else's quote or question.

I bet you're already brainstorming ideas for digital discussion warm-ups right now! Think of discussion a little like sports practice - it's just going to go a lot better, with a lot fewer injuries, after a good warm-up.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
107: Virtual Discussion Problems? Try this. - Spark Creativity

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When it comes to in-person discussion, my go-to has always been Harkness. Teaching kids how to have a conversation, mostly without me, and then reflect on their own abilities and dynamics and improve after each day, has been one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching for me.

# data[].attributes.body
https://guidedreaders.com/guided-reading/rigor-in-the-classroom-7-strategies-for-success/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Why did the chicken cross the road?" That's one of the first jokes children learn; and I love seeing the twinkle in a child's eye as they tell it for the first time. And it's not just the chicken joke; there are a thousand other knock-knock jokes based on the premise that some questions have obvious answers. But in a classroom where instructors teach with rigor and promote rigorous learning, the questions go much deeper. Yes, learning should be fun; but it's also serious business! So here's the question we'll consider in this post: "What are some of the best strategies teachers can use to incorporate rigor in the classroom?"

1. Rigor Requires That You Ask Good Questions of the Students in Your Classroom

I love this humorous twist to the old chicken joke: " I dream of a world where chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned." ; )

Regardless of those poor chickens, we know that questions can be good things, teacher peeps! It's our job to teach with rigor; and one of the best ways to do that is to ask questions that require our students to think. As we teach Guided Reading, it's essential for us to craft questions that will engage students in higher-level thinking.

Of course the process of inquiry helps us check for understanding; but it also helps us teach and generate new understanding. It's more than just hoping for right answers. We need to model the skill of questioning, asking questions that will cause our students to think deeply. The problems we pose and the questions we ask should require students to be engaged and active in the learning process. It takes some intentional effort on our part and theirs.

2. To Promote Rigor in the Classroom, Teach Your Students to Craft Good Questions

"Why did the teacher ask the question?" It's no joke, my teacher friend; and the answer is more than just "To find out what the student knew." Teaching with rigor involves creating an atmosphere and an environment that promotes deep thinking and engaged learning. It involves teaching our students the skill of asking and answering questions that will help them make meaning as they read.

Effective literacy instruction involves so much more than just stuffing our students' heads full of facts! It's important for us to guide them in the process of learning and discovery. More than any other literacy skill we teach, our students will benefit from learning the art of asking questions. It will help them develop the ability to analyze and reason through the texts they read and the problems they'll encounter in life. In addition to teaching your students to read, teach them to pause and ask thoughtful questions of the texts they encounter. As you do, you'll help change them from students who are learning to read into students who are reading to learn.

3. When You Teach With Rigor in the Classroom, Vocabulary Matters

Whether you're crafting a question for class discussion or having a casual conversation with an individual student, choose your words carefully. Use higher-level vocabulary that challenges your students and encourages them to think critically. The questions you pose shouldn't be so complicated that your students are unable to understand what you're asking; but you shouldn't talk down to them, either. Introduce new, higher-level vocabulary throughout the day as you teach. Incorporate Tier-3 academic language into your daily instruction as well as in one-to-one conversations with students. Provide brief explanations to help your kiddos understand the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Strrrrretch your students'minds by exposing them to rich vocabulary and insightful conversations. As a result, you'll build their word knowledge and help prepare them to tackle more rigorous texts.

4. To Promote Rigor in the Classroom, Raise the Bar

Although lower-order questions may be effective in helping students memorize content, we should also expose them to higher-level questions that require them to think deeply. Teach them to analyze and evaluate the texts they read, answering more than just the Who/What/When/Where questions. Teach your students to think critically and to provide textual evidence for the answers they give.

Intentionally teach the concept of metacognition, and encourage students to remember that "Reading is Thinking." Lead your students to think about the text, critiquing and analyzing the structure and the writer's choice of words; then help them learn how to think beyond the text by making inferences, synthesizing and making connections. Click here for my post on teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies for Fluent Readers.

Ask probing questions that will guide your students in their evaluation of the stories they read. In a rigorous classroom environment, your goal should not be to solve problems for your students; your goal should be to teach them how to use their own minds to think creatively and solve problems independently.

5. For Rigor in Classroom Discussions, Incorporate the Appropriate Wait Time

Rigor does not equal rushed. Give those chickens time to cross!

During discussion times, allow your students the time to think about their answer. Especially where higher-order questions are involved, add an extra 3 to 4 seconds of wait time to encourage student participation, since it gives them time to carefully consider the question and think through their response.

After you've asked a question, pause and repeat it to give your kiddos some extra think-time. It's important to teach with rigor; but don't rush the process. A well-thought-out answer from an engaged learner is worth the wait.

6. Scaffold Students to Help Them Progress - For Real Rigor in the Classroom, Challenge Those Chickens!

To promote rigor in your classroom, challenge and scaffold individual students. As you help a student tackle new skills and strategies with your support and guidance, they'll eventually accomplish the tasks individually, without your support and scaffolding.

The challenge for you as the instructor is to recognize and identify what Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) referred to as the "Zone of Proximal Development" for each student. The Zone of Proximal Development refers to the difference between what a learner can do independently without help and what he or she is capable of doing with coaching, support and scaffolding. When you work with an individual student, your goal should be to work within this zone as you introduce new skills, strategies or knowledge.

Identify and recognize an individual student's abilities, and provide appropriate challenges to move them forward within their zone of proximal development. Model the skill or concept, allow the student to practice (which may involve some struggle), and then work collaboratively with them by advising and coaching them through the process. Ask questions to help guide the student, and provide prompts to help them master the skill. Then give them plenty of encouragement and praise when they reach their goal!

7. To Promote Rigor in the Classroom, Incorporate Rigorous Texts

You can incorporate mentor texts in classroom read-alouds, but how do you ensure that your students are encountering quality, rigorous texts in your Guided Reading small groups and in independent reading on a daily basis? You've got to give those chickens something to chew on!

As a veteran classroom teacher with more than 23-years of experience in reading instruction, I'm excited to introduce to you Guided Readers.

Meet Guided Readers...

Guided Readers is the most effective online guided reading program to help build and strengthen students' literacy skills in phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, and guided writing. It offers professionally leveled books, print-and-teach lesson plans, and an interactive digital experience for the students in your classroom.

Guided Readers Offers Effective Resources to Help Teachers Promote Rigor in the Classroom

Within Guided Readers you won't find any boring theories or ideas that don't actually work in practice. You'll be empowered by access to consistent and streamlined differentiated lesson plans that take the guesswork out of how to teach and what to teach. The program provides you with the most effective and rigorous resources, based on best practices in literacy development and guided reading instruction. It will help you teach your students to become fluent, confident readers AND help them love to read in the process.

ALL of our leveled readers are professionally leveled through our partnership with Fountas & Pinnell and Lexile.com. Our fiction books contain beautiful illustrations done by professional illustrators; and our nonfiction books feature the highest-quality and most eye-catching photographs you can find!

From Emerging Readers to Fluent Readers, Guided Readers will help you reach them all with engaging texts and rigorous literacy instruction. (Currently, Guided Readers has texts/resources for Guided Reading Levels A - Q. Levels R-Z will be added to the site over the next few months.) Each week, at least 20 new books and corresponding resources will be added to your Library Bookshelf.

To rock your literacy instruction and promote rigor in the classroom, get Guided Readers!

Rigor in the Classroom? You've Got This!

Thanks so much for stopping by, my teacher friend! Just a reminder that rigor in the classroom requires you to have high expectations for yourself and your students. I have high expectations too. You've got this-and that's no joke!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Rigor in the Classroom - 7 Strategies for Success - Guided Readers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Why did the chicken cross the road?" That's one of the first jokes children learn; and I love seeing the twinkle in a child's eye as they tell it for the first time. And it's not just the chicken joke; there are a thousand other knock-knock jokes based on the premise that some questions have ...

# data[].attributes.body
https://theartofeducation.edu/2017/09/07/develop-rigor-classroom/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The term "rigor" in education has been a buzzword for at least a decade. It describes the result of work that challenges students' thinking in new and interesting ways. Promoting rigor in the classroom requires expectations and experiences that are academically, intellectually, and personally challenging.

Let's look at how to cultivate a culture of rigor in the classroom.

1. Start by Building Strong Relationships

The relationships we have with students play a significant role in their investment in our classes. Students won't work for teachers they don't like. This doesn't mean we need to try and be friends or "act cool" with students. However, it does mean our students' perception of us matters. They need to know we believe in them.

Trust, respect, and relationships are paramount from elementary through high school. The article " Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform" in Educational Leadership reveals this idea. Authors Byrk and Schneider studied 400 Chicago elementary schools and found relational trust played a central role in effective education. Byrk and Schneider found schools where students trusted their teachers demonstrated much higher marked improvements (8 percent in reading and 20 percent in math) than schools lacking trust.

Educators who build trust with their students will be able to push them further. If students know their teacher genuinely cares about their academic and personal success and is willing to work with them to meet their goals, they are more likely to take those extra steps.

In other words, students not only need high expectations, but they also need to believe they can reach them.

2. Make Sure You are Differentiating for All Students

Finding an effective way to challenge each student is key. For example, my nephew is in 5th grade but reads at a high school level. Reading even the advanced books available in his classroom may not be enough of a challenge. To provide a rigorous experience, his teacher needs to seek out appropriate challenges. Students should be encouraged to compete with themselves, constantly striving to achieve higher skills and understanding.

On the flip side, I have students walk into my room every year on day one and proclaim, "I'm going to fail art. I can't even draw a stick figure." Does that mean I should lower my expectations? Absolutely not. The key here is to start small and build their skill sets slowly. We must nourish little successes to build confidence. If students have little or no confidence, they certainly are not going to engage in rigorous material.

Differentiation is essential to ensure each student has personalized goals to strive toward.

3. Provide Choice and Relevant Assignments

Students are more willing to challenge themselves when they engage in meaningful work. Students need to investigate issues they relate to, or practice art forms they find relevant and exciting. Some of my most successful units in high school are graffiti-inspired and those that give students the chance to voice their opinions on social issues. Students want their education to be something they can relate to, something that stimulates their passions, and something meaningful. To increase rigor, we have to assess our levels of relevance. Incorporating many layers of choice allows students to gravitate toward their own most inspired path.

Relevance can also be closely related to fun. Mixing up the ways students grapple with assignments and content challenges them to engage differently. Incorporate games with partners and in small groups. If students finish something early, provide exciting extra skill-building tasks. Be creative. We are artists leading other artists. Ask yourself what kinds of activities you would find fun and make you want to push yourself. Then, see if you can bring a version of that to your students.

4. Maintain High Expectations

In my classroom, when I give an assignment, no one is finished until the due date. Ever. If there are two weeks allotted for work, students know I expect them to work for two weeks straight. One student might finish one project in that time frame while another finishes seven. I place a high value on work habits, making it a specific part of my rubric. Because of this, students don't argue about the policy. They know if they take a day off, it will be reflected in their grade.

Students learn early on in the school year it is not just about "getting it done," but about seeing how far they can go and how much they can improve.

Final Thoughts

Rigor is essential in school and life. Cultivating our students' desires to challenge and push their intellect and abilities is what leads to powerful learning experiences. There are no prescribed formulas to increasing rigor. Throwing extra steps in assignments, carelessly raising the level of difficulty, or pounding students with stacks of homework is not effective. In the article, " A New Definition of Rigor," Edutopia.org blogger, Sztabnik, asserts, "Rigor is a result, not a cause."

As you look to develop rigor in your students, make sure you're building relationships and providing relevant challenges they want to rise and meet. In this way, you'll take your students from a "get 'er done" approach to something much more meaningful: a desire to put forth their best effort.
What does rigor mean to you? What other ways do you inspire rigor in your students?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How to Develop Rigor in the Classroom Relationship Building % %

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.state.nj.us/education/AchieveNJ/resources/DOKWheel.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.middleweb.com/47245/6-places-to-find-true-rigor-in-your-classroom/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A misguided view of rigor can make learning inaccessible to many students who can think deeply. Teachers need to know how to set the stage to uncover their thinking and help them deepen their understanding.

Raising expectations is NOT as simple as assigning difficult texts to read or using higher-order verbs (e.g., analyze, synthesize) to describe what students are going to do during a lesson.

How cognitive rigor works

Cognitive rigor is created by the interaction of three key factors: content complexity + cognitive engagement + the intended scope and depth of the learning activity.

1. Content Complexity: Complex concepts and strategies (e.g., concrete versus abstract ideas; literal versus figurative interpretations; practical applications versus theories) always require supports to increase access and engagement.

2. Cognitive Engagement: Engagement with the content (sometimes defined using Depth-of-Knowledge/DOK levels) describes how deeply we want students to apply their understanding to complete a task - from surface-level recall to conceptual understanding, problem solving, or in-depth extended thinking.

We know from brain research that emotional engagement precedes deeper cognitive engagement. When students first make personal connections to new content - "what do I already know about this topic?" or "how is this problem relevant to me/my world?" - doors to complex mental processing and problem-solving begin to open.

3. Scope and Depth: The scope of the planned learning or assessment activity influences the overall cognitive rigor, especially when multiple sources must be analyzed and interpreted or a complex product of learning is to be developed (e.g., research project, podcast, multimedia presentation).

Increasing rigor must go hand in hand with supports that help every student access the meaning of the content (a new strategy, concept, or theory) before they are asked to explain it, apply it, or analyze it.

Providing background knowledge related to a topic prior to introducing a complex text or breaking down a complex strategy into several steps are examples of strategically scaffolding complex content. Even adult learners benefit from scaffolding when tackling complex content!

6 Ways We Can Uncover Rigorous Thinking and Help Students Deepen Understanding

Teachers can elicit evidence of cognitive rigor by asking students to brainstorm possible solutions instead of asking for one correct solution; by using feedback to refine their performance, rather than telling students what to correct; or by having them practice using metacognitive skills while monitoring their own learning processes.

I've identified six ways to move students' thinking to deeper levels of understanding and created a "student-friendly" infographic of the six strategies. This can be printed as a poster or cut apart and used as task cards as metacognitive prompts when students are engaging in collaborative discourse or working through a complex challenge.

Some teachers print and use the cards to create cubes that can be rolled like dice to randomly select a prompt for small group discussions or reflective journaling.
Strategy Tips
(click a graphic to enlarge - resource links offer more info)
We create opportunities for cognitive engagement and deeper thinking when asking students to ...

Resource: One pagers, ELA, math/science, social studies

Conclusion

When we know what rigorous thinking can look and sound like, we can help students to use many of these strategies in almost any lesson.
Also see Karin's popular MiddleWeb article: Five Metacognitive Tools to Reveal Hidden Learning Karin Hess, author of the Hess Cognitive Rigor Matrices and numerous articles and books, is a former classroom teacher and school administrator. She is recognized internationally as a leader in applying cognitive rigor, depth of knowledge (DOK), and learning progressions to the development of state and school-based curriculum and assessment systems. She can be contacted through her website www.karin-hess.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Six Ways Teachers Can Support Rigor by Deepening Thinking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dr. Karin Hess shares six strategies to help teachers scaffold and support deeper thinking and genuine "rigor" in most any lesson. The key is setting the stage.

# data[].attributes.headline
Question Stems and standard expectations 

# data[].attributes.subject
Question Stems and standard expectations 

# data[].attributes.body
https://uncomplicateed.com/b-e-s-t-blog/f/floridas-best-standards-the-ela-expectations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Florida's B.E.S.T. Standards: The ELA Expectations

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7539/urlt/elabeststandardsfinal.pdf