Four Common Core ‘flimflams’

So where is the research to support: close reading, increased Lexile levels, the use of informational texts, and other questionable practices in the primary grades? During our recent Open to Debate formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S. debate on the Common Core, the Fordham Institute’s Mike Petrilli told the audience he spent the big part of the weekend talking to some reading experts. When I later asked Mr. Petrilli for the evidence of the research on Common Core reading methods he said, Well, I will be happy to go find it for you after this debate. I am still waiting.