Looking for a direct link to the Extended Content Standards? Then click here: Extended Content Standards. The Extended Content Standards are broken down by the grade levels and subject areas so you will have to click on a couple of different areas to get all of the standards you are working with. Remember to download the standards of the grades you teach - not the grade the students are functioning at.

Last time we looked at the Noun/Verb strategy, this time we are going to look at the Word Search Strategy. In this strategy, we identify key words in the standard: and, or, and/or, as well as to determine their impact on the meaning of the standard.

For example, Extended Content Standard RI.8.6 from NCDPI states: Determine an author's purpose or point of view and identify examples from text that describe or support it. This standard can be read in 4 different ways:

1. Determine an author's purpose and identify examples from text that describe it.

2. Determine an author's purpose and identify examples from text that support it.

3. Determine an author's point of view and identify examples from text that describe it.

4. Determine an author's point of view and identify examples from text that support it.

The words and and as well as mean that all the conditions have to be included while the word or means there is a choice. All four ways of reading that standard are correct, it just depends on how you look at the words that follow the or in the statements.

Another example takes Extended Content Standard W.1.1 from NCDPI: With Guidance and support, select a topic and use drawing, dictating, or writing to state an opinion about it. Depending on our student, we can meet this goal in one of three ways:

1. With guidance and support, select a topic and use drawing to state an opinion about it.

2. With guidance and support, select a topic and use dictating to state an opinion about it.

3. With guidance and support, select a topic and use writing to state an opinion about it.

The word or in the above standard allows us to choose the best mode of expression for our student to share their opinion.

Next, we will delve into the Number the Skills Strategy.