The authors address the anxiety-inducing world of Common Core State Standards, distilling from those standards four key ideas that help hone teaching practices both generally and in preparation for assessments. This "core of the Core" shows how to teach students to read harder texts, closely read texts rigorously and intentionally, read nonfiction more effectively, and write more effectively in direct response to texts. The authors also focus on the "fundamentals" of reading instruction--techniques and subject specific tools that reconsider approaches to such essential topics as vocabulary, interactive reading, and student autonomy. Filled with practical tools and over 40 video clips from real classrooms, this book provides the framework we need to ensure our students forge futures as lifelong readers.--