All comments from CFL website (3/22/03) are copied below. Eliminating obvious duplicates from the same author, the comments fell into these categories:

The back to the basics comments emphasized grammar, spelling, memorization, phonics, dictionary and thesaurus use.

All comments have been included here. Use these links to view comments by grade level:
Kindergarten | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Grade 5 | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 | Grade 11 | Grade 12

General comments:
Public comment: So happy with this direction! Thank you! Some teachers think this is too hard -- I think these high expectations are just what we need.
Public comment: Need to expect students to use formal, standard English -- not slang.
Public comment: Applaud -- writing process start at grade 6.
Public comment: We need spelling rules at all grades through grade 8 -- at least.
Public comment: Need for memorization -- a few poems, short passages, etc.
Public comment: Need to address thesaurus use.
Public comment: Need dictionary use to be addressed at all grades 1-8 at least.
Public comment: Need to teach students how to take notes and write outlines.
Public comment: Need more research writing -- start simply at grade 3.
Public comment: Hibbing High School English Department -- need separate grammar strand. It is an atrocity not to have grammar all the way through.
Public comment: There is a strong phonetic basis for learning to read, while still recognizing that there are high frequency sight words that do not follow rules and must be memorized. Advanced phonetic analysis to decode unfamiliar words is given significant and correct emphasis in the upper grades.
Public comment: The Comprehension subtopic contains many specific strategies to increase comprehension while reading, such as use of dictionaries; context; comparing and contrasting setting, characters and plot; finding main themes; and creating outlines and summaries.
Public comment: The list of how to expand vocabulary is long, thorough and excellent. The use of Greek and Latin roots, parts of speech and prefixes/suffixes is very important and it is very good that it is so specific. Especially important is the use of explicit vocabulary instruction, mentioned in grades 6-12; phonetic analysis; and dictionary use when it is mentioned.
Public comment: Types of writing -- this is excellent with grade appropriate expansion of the different types of writing that a student should know and be able to do.
Public comment: The various stages and elements required for written composition are listed explicitly starting in grade 3 and are well defined in grades 6-8.
Public comment: The spelling of words that are not sight words is really only discussed in grade 2. Because spelling is so important for proper written communication, much more time should be spent on spelling as its own element in the other grades.
Public comment: The elements of grammar are really only discussed in grades K-2. Grammar should be taught better before it is just applied. It is highly unlikely that grammar will be known and understood by the end of 2nd grade. The standards for grammar need to be clearer in other grades and skills such as diagramming sentences should be included.
Public comment: The specificity and level of complexity of research standards expand in a grade-level appropriate fashion. Standards should be added on how to do footnotes and endnotes and under what style conventions.
Public comment: Having good handwriting is important for written communication. Understanding how to type is an important skill. Keyboard skills should be taught in the later grades after good handwriting, grammar, spelling and punctuation skills are well established.
Public comment: Listening skills are important and expand in complexity and specificity in an age-appropriate fashion.
Public comment: Speaking standards prepare students for the various types of speaking and oral presentations that they will have to make.
Public comment: Students are required to read a wide variety of literature. Students must understand the various elements of literature, including how arguments are made and various themes. This was especially well laid out in grade 6-8. American and British literature was specifically mentioned in grades 6-8 and 10-12. There is not a specific reading list, which would have a tendency to limit the selections used. Because the national standards of the federal curriculum, particularly history, civics and science, are integrated into several reading/literature curricula, the standards should specifically say that literature should follow the specifics of the House Profile repeal bill, HF 2.

Kindergarten
Public comment: Standards for reading would be impossible for all students in half day programs to meet, specifically Reading, 1.8, 1.13, and 1.15 and Writing, 1.1.

1. Word Recognition, Analysis, and Fluency
Public comment: Glad to see phonics.
Public comment: change to, "The student will:" throughout.
Public comment: I would think identifying a table of contents and a glossary were higher level skills.
Public comment: Table of contents and glossary identification seem more appropriate to first grade rather than kindergarten. There are not even very many emergent expository books available that have these parts to show students. Why are they in K and not first?
Public comment: Put complicated words in parentheses. Use the simple words first, followed by technical words in parentheses.

Public comment: This seems too difficult to expect from all kindergartners.

Public comment: This seems too difficult to expect from all kindergartners.

Public comment: What exactly do you mean by this? Actual independent reading, decoding unknown words, etc. or do you mean taking picture walks through a book and telling a story?
Public comment: What does it mean for children to read independently on a daily basis in kindergarten? It sounds as if kids will be expected to read in kindergarten.

Public comment: While it is good to have children learn word meaning from context, they should also be learning how and then be directed to look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: While it is good to do this, not everyone's life experiences are the same, which will lead to a situational understanding. Teachers should also help relate texts to some common literary, cultural, and/or historical standard, particularly that covered in the Profile repeal bill, HF 2.6 Respond orally to language patterns in stories and poems (i.e. join in when teacher reads repeated parts of a story, echo words and phrases, make up chants with a teacher).
Public comment: What are the chants, and what purpose do they serve?

Public comment: Do you expect original text and independent writing? Currently my students can write words and copy a sentence but that is much easier than forming your own original sentence.
Public comment: In kindergarten, writing a variety of sentences is not appropriate, if you can get kindergartners to write one or more complete sentences on a topic, that is very good, as they are still learning sound/letter connections. The complete list of kindergarten standards will be an awful lot of academic content particularly for half-day programs. With students who have no preschool experience there is a lot of "schoolness" that needs to be taught first.

Public comment: Need to add more spelling.
Public comment: The basic elements of grammar are discussed well in the early grades.

Public comment: Knowledge of the period and what it is used for is a mastered skill. My students know how to end a sentence with a period. However, most of them are not yet writing sentences on their own, therefore, they are not using periods in their writings.

Public comment: Most of my students are not yet writing sentences on their own, therefore, they are not capitalizing in their writings.

Public comment: This should be removed and/or placed in another grade. These children should be allowed to be children. They have the rest of their lives to distinguish reality from fantasy.

GRADE 1
Public comment: Does this mean using various rules for decoding words based on the rules of common words? These are powerful tools to help students read and spell a vast majority of words in the English language. Perhaps it could be clearer.

Public comment: Specify what it means to read with fluency in first grade, especially for children with language disabilities.

Public comment: While it is good to have children learn word meaning from context, they should also be learning how and then be directed to look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: While it is good to do this, not everyone's life experiences are the same, which will lead to a situational understanding. Teachers should also help relate texts to some common literary, cultural, and/or historical standard, particularly that covered in the Profile repeal bill, HF 2.

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: Not necessary to list examples.

Public comment: There should be explicit, grade appropriate vocabulary instruction from K-12 with less emphasis in life experiences, which can be highly variable.

Public comment: For what purpose?

Public comment: The basic elements of grammar are discussed well in the early grades.

Public comment: Add interrogative sentences.

Public comment: Should read, "listen to."

GRADE 2
Public comment: Why isolate beginning and ending sounds?

Public comment: While it is good to have children learn word meaning from context, they should also be learning how and then be directed to look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary. There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: While it is good to do this, not everyone's life experiences are the same, which will lead to a situational understanding. Teachers should also help relate texts to some common literary, cultural, and/or historical standard, particularly that covered in the Profile repeal bill, HF 2.

Public comment: There should be explicit, grade appropriate vocabulary instruction from K-12 with less emphasis in life experiences, which can be highly variable.

Public comment: Add, "see 5.3 on apostrophes under Spelling, Grammar and Usage."

Public comment: The basic elements of grammar are discussed well in the early grades.

Public comment: This standard is excellent and should be present in some form at every grade level.

Public comment: Alphabetizing by third letter is too difficult for 2nd grade.

Public comment: "informative/narrative" is redundant.

GRADE 3
Public comment: Whole grade level is very strong. This is great.
Public comment: Should there be Spelling, Grammar and Usage standards for grades 3-5 as there are for grades 1-2?

Public comment: There should be explicit, grade appropriate vocabulary instruction from K-12 with less emphasis in life experiences, which can be highly variable.

Public comment: The elements of an organized writing process are not defined until 6th grade.

Public comment: While students should know how to evaluate various types of oral presentations that they hear, it is the teacher's responsibility to do the final evaluation and grading of oral presentations.

Public comment: There is no mention of American literature and an inordinate emphasis on fairy tales, myths, legends, etc. from other cultures. This fits in with the federal curriculum's aims to promote earth-centered religion and radical environmentalism while denigrating Christianity, Western civilization and private property. This standard should be removed. However, if it stays, then there must be a corresponding standard to mention and promote American and Western literature that is grade appropriate and/or it should be strengthened to say at the end, "that have had a significant effect on American and Western culture and history."

GRADE 4
Public comment: Should there be Spelling, Grammar and Usage standards for grades 3-5 as there are for grades 1-2?

Public comment: Students should not depend on an electronic dictionary or spell check, but know how to find these things themselves using printed materials.

Public comment: There should be explicit, grade appropriate vocabulary instruction from K-12 with less emphasis in life experiences, which can be highly variable.

Public comment: The elements of an organized writing process are not defined until 6th grade.

Public comment: In the American culture, making eye contact with the speaker during an oral presentation is culturally appropriate and no other type of eye contact need be taught.

Public comment: There is no mention of American literature and an inordinate emphasis on fairy tales, myths, legends, etc. from other cultures. This fits in with the federal curriculum's aims to promote earth-centered religion and radical environmentalism while denigrating Christianity, Western civilization and private property. This standard should be removed. However, if it stays, then there must be a corresponding standard to mention and promote American and Western literature that is grade appropriate and/or it should be strengthened to say at the end, "that have had a significant effect on American and Western culture and history."

GRADE 5
Public comment: Should there be Spelling, Grammar and Usage standards for grades 3-5 as there are for grades 1-2?

Public comment: Students should not depend on an electronic dictionary or spell check, but know how to find these things themselves using printed materials.

Public comment: There should be explicit, grade appropriate vocabulary instruction from K-12 with less emphasis in life experiences, which can be highly variable.

Public comment: The elements of an organized writing process are not defined until 6th grade.LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Public comment: In the American culture, making eye contact with the speaker during an oral presentation is culturally appropriate and no other type of eye contact need be taught.

Public comment: There is no mention of American literature and an inordinate emphasis on fairy tales, myths, legends, etc. from other cultures. This fits in with the federal curriculum's aims to promote earth-centered religion and radical environmentalism while denigrating Christianity, Western civilization and private property. This standard should be removed. However, if it stays, then there must be a corresponding standard to mention and promote American and Western literature that is grade appropriate and/or it should be strengthened to say at the end, "that have had a significant effect on American and Western culture and history."

GRADE 6
Public comment: Grade 6 - 8 standards are very clear.
Public comment: This entire set of middle school standards (6 - 8) is great.

Public comment: The combination of strategies students will use is not clear here.

Public comment: The terms "graphic and semantic organizers" and "text structures" need to be better defined.

Public comment: The term "text structures" needs to be better defined.

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: Grammar, spelling, punctuation -- need to be specific -- add detail. Grammar strand needs to be included in all grades.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: Students should be responsible for evaluating themselves only for oral presentations. It is the teacher's responsibility to evaluate their peers.

In order to identify, critically analyze, and apply knowledge of the conventions, elements, and techniques of print and non-print materials (i.e. books, periodicals, film, radio, video, television, multimedia productions, the Internet, and emerging technologies) and provide evidence from the words to support understanding.
Public comment: It is very important for students to know how to evaluate various media. The skills of evaluating media should be moved from grades 6-8 to grades 9-12 when students have more knowledge and understanding about societal, cultural and historical standards with which to evaluate bias, etc. Those standards should include what was in the House Profile repeal bill, HF 2. Increased exposure to the Internet should be reserved for when students are developmentally more mature and their academic reading, writing and research skills are more solidified.

Public comment: The part of this standard ending with "American intellectual and cultural history" should be replicated in every grade. The rest should be strengthened by adding at the end, "that have had a significant effect on American and Western culture and history."

GRADE 7
Public comment: The combination of strategies students will use is not clear here.

Public comment: The term"graphic and semantic organizers" needs to be better defined.

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: Students should be responsible for evaluating themselves only for oral presentations. It is the teacher's responsibility to evaluate their peers.

Public comment: The part of this standard ending with "American intellectual and cultural history" should be replicated in every grade. The rest should be strengthened by adding at the end, "that have had a significant effect on American and Western culture and history."

GRADE 8

Public comment: The combination of strategies students will use is not clear here.

Public comment: The term "graphic and semantic organizers" needs to be better defined.

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: Students should be responsible for evaluating themselves only for oral presentations. It is the teacher's responsibility to evaluate their peers.

Public comment: The part of this standard ending with "American intellectual and cultural history" should be replicated in every grade. The rest should be strengthened by adding at the end, "that have had a significant effect on American and Western culture and history."

GRADE 9

Public comment: This may be more appropriate at grades 11-12 (job descriptions and applications).

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: Necessary to be more specific here -- maybe move to 11-12.

Public comment: We need to have grammar as a separate strand and must be more specific. "Grammar, Spelling and Usage."
Public comment: Grammar needs to be addressed more effectively here.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: What does the American Psychological Association have to do with writing or research style?

GRADE 10

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: (a) and (b) -- too vague -- please be more specific.

Public comment: Grammar needs to be addressed more effectively here.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: What does the American Psychological Association have to do with writing or research style?

Public comment: This should be strengthened by adding, "and describe how this work has or has not contributed to American and Western culture and civilization."

GRADE 11

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: Grammar should be addressed more effectively here.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: What does the American Psychological Association have to do with writing or research style?

Public comment: This should be changed to read, "Describe how and whether the culture of the selected text has contributed significantly to American and Western culture, history, or civilization."

Public comment: Excellent! We need to have strong foundation in American and British literature.
Public comment: This should be strengthened by adding, "and describe how this work has or has not contributed to American and Western culture and civilization."

Public comment: 1.3, 1.9 and 1.10 may require a high level of knowledge in drama/theater. Teachers may need more professional development in this area.

GRADE 12

Public comment: There is too heavy a reliance on contextual clues and the use of a dictionary is mentioned very sparingly. It should be the other way around.

Public comment: Grammar needs to be addressed more specifically here.

Public comment: Does this mean that the majority of writing in grade 12 will be critical analysis? This standard may be appropriate for the college bound. We need more flexibility for tech bound and work bound.

Public comment: A software editing package should not be applied until that skill is learned independently.

Public comment: What does the American Psychological Association have to do with writing or research style?