Most states have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as the basis for evaluating their students. This handbook will help teachers and administrators sort through the English Language Arts standards and focus on the key components of the CCSS. This is the second of a four-book series that started with Navigating Implementation of CCSS. The third handbook is Navigating Mathematics CCSS and the fourth is Navigating Assessment and Collaboration with the CCSS.