Rigor in the K–5 ELA and Social Studies Classroom

Barbara R. Blackburn, a Top 30 Global Guru in Education, has taught early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school students and has served as an educational consultant for three publishing companies. In addition to speaking at international, national, and state conferences, she also regularly presents workshops for teachers and administrators in elementary, middle, and high schools. She is the author of over 20 books, including the bestseller Rigor Is Not a Four-Letter Word.Melissa Miles, coauthor of Rigor in the 6–12 ELA and Social Studies Classroom, is currently back in the classroom teaching middle school language arts after serving as Director of Educational Resources at a school in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has almost 20 years of classroom teaching experience. She is also twice credentialed as a National Board-Certified teacher for young adolescents, works as a SpringBoard Curriculum consultant to College Board, and is a certified member of the site visitation team for the Schools to Watch award.

• 1. Introduction 2. Creating a Rigorous Environment 3. Expectations 4. Support and Scaffolding 5. Demonstration of Learning 6. Assessment 7. Collaborating to Improve Rigor

"Blackburn and Miles provide a number of easily implemented ideas that can be used in the ELA and Social Studies Classroom to increase rigor. All through the book are examples, strategies, anecdotes, ideas, and research that will assist readers as they work to increase rigor in their daily teaching repertoire. ... I definitely recommend this book for ELA teachers, Social Studies teachers, and administrators. Don’t be afraid to ask a colleague to read the book along with you or give you input into your lessons or curriculum. Don’t let the buzzword “Rigor” scare you! Once you begin reading the book, you won’t want to put it down (except to jot ideas to use in your teaching)."--Linda Biondi, MiddleWeb Review, https://www.middleweb.com/44874/redefining-rigor-for-ela-and-social-studies/