鈥淰ocabulary is how we describe concepts. It's how we know how to talk to one another. And vocabulary development weaves its way through all four domains in the standards. All four鈥攔eading, writing, listening and speaking, and language.鈥
鈥擲ue Pimentel
鈥淲hat the standards say is, 鈥楲eveled texts are out and complex texts are in.鈥 There's no research behind assigning a level to students' reading and then sort of imprisoning them in that.鈥
鈥擲ue Pimentel
鈥淭ext complexity level is critical for students to be able to do well when they leave school and also so they can independently read texts and other sorts of sources on their own as well.鈥
鈥擲ue Pimentel
鈥淪o standards are really important, right? Because they allow a meeting of the minds in terms of this is what our students need to be learning. It's like a compact, if you will, with our students and our parents and the public to say, 鈥楾his is what you can expect your students to be learning.鈥欌
鈥擲ue Pimentel
鈥淭he standards define the 'what' importantly...the level of complexity, the level of sophistication. Really, really important. But curriculum tells us how to do the 'what' well, and to use the literacy research to make sure all students get access.鈥
鈥擲ue Pimentel
鈥淭he more stuff you know, the better you're able to navigate the world. Whether that means as a citizen鈥s a worker鈥s a college student鈥s a mom or dad鈥攚hatever it is鈥攖he more you know about stuff, the better off and I think the happier life is. And certainly the happier kids' lives are when they're actually learning stuff.鈥
鈥擲ue Pimentel
鈥淭he whole notion is that the content matters. What I'm reading about matters; and how I get through that content matters; and how I get access to that content matters鈥攚hich means I'm building my knowledge slowly but surely.鈥
鈥擲ue Pimentel