it just started to pick up steam in the K-12 realm about 5 years ago or so…or
at least they did where I live. I love doing close reads with my kiddos because
it’s the perfect way to integrate literacy with content areas such as science
and social studies. You are not only able to focus on your content specific
standards, but you are also able to reinforce key literacy standards. And, for
those of you who departmentalize, your science/social studies teachers will
love you for life! And if you are a science or social studies teacher, wouldn’t
you just LOVE it if reading teachers reviewed some of your standards? It’s
really a win-win all the way around. I do realize there is some hesitation among
the departmentalization crowd of not really knowing another subject’s content,
so make sure to visit my Facebook page on July 20, 2016, at 8pm EST because I will be offering some tips on how to overcome
those roadblocks you may be facing (if you can’t watch my Facebook Live video
live, it will be available for replay).
 |
| Join me on my FB page on July 20 @ 8pm EST |
reading is. My view of close reading is a direct result of the trainings I
attended and research I read. I have also delivered professional development to
teachers on what close reading is and how to implement it because it can
certainly get overwhelming because there are so many facets to it.
classroom. My method may not be the method you use, and that’s OK! I do not
want you to read my post and think, “Oh my goodness! I have been doing it
wrong!” Instead, I want you to read my post, and, if it’s different from what
you are currently doing, I would love for you to reflect on your own teaching
practices and think, “I never thought about close reading this way before. I
really like the idea of {insert idea}, so I am going to try this in my
classroom next year!” That is really my
goal with this blog post: to get you to reflect on what you are currently doing
in your classroom and hopefully add additional strategies to your toolbox. The
key is to find the method that works best for you, feel most comfortable with,
and that you see student progression.
“four corners of the text”. Meaning that students have to read a
selection of text carefully, reflect, and answer questions that require a
deeper level of thinking. The answers lie solely in the text itself, without
the students having to possess prior knowledge. Would prior knowledge make it
easier to answer the questions? Possibly, but if the questions being asked can’t be answered using the text alone, then students who lack that prior knowledge
will be at a disadvantage. Shouldn’t we encourage students to make those
text-to-self/text/real world connections? Absolutely. But there is a time and
place for it. If your purpose is to have students dive deep into a text and use
the text in front of them as the basis for their responses, then you need to
take away the connection piece in the question you ask and the responses you
accept.
small group depending on the purpose. You can choose to give your students a
copy of the text or display the text on a white board. You can choose to have
students read the text independently, with a partner, or you may want to read
it to them and they follow along. If you want to assess your students’
listening comprehension, then you can read the text to them to take away the
potential obstacle of having to read the text themselves. They should have the text in front of them, though, so they can refer back to it during discussion. A close reading can take
anywhere between 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the age level of your group and the extent of the questioning.
There are also different ways for students to respond to the questions. I have
had a class discussion by writing the question on chart paper or the white
board and then recording student responses; had students write their answers
independently; posted the questions on sentence strips in a pocket chart and
gave each student a sticky note to write their answers on and then stick in the
pocket chart; or place 2-3 pieces of chart paper around the room with a
different question written on each one and have the students travel to each
question in a small group and write their answers/add to the answer already
written. By mixing it up, students don’t get bored, and they are constantly
being challenged. You could also give your students the opportunity to write
the questions themselves. You can give them question stems that guide them in
the direction you want them to go, and then let them finish formulating the question. So
many possibilities!
the text?
doing close reads, there are so many factors to consider, and it is WAY easier
to select a text with questions already written to give to students, possibly a
basal or page from a workbook. And there is nothing wrong with that (even though
I am not a supporter of the basal, when you are starting something new, taking
away as much of the unknown as possible is absolutely necessary)! However, as
you become more comfortable with close reading, I do want to encourage you to
step out of your comfort zone. Venture away from pre-formulated passages and
questions and begin to select your own text. Why? Because then you are TRULY
free! You are free to select the text that is the best fit for your students.
You can select a text that integrates your science or social studies
topic. You can select a text that is a well-constructed example of a specific
text feature. You can select a text that has a strong character and is rich
with details that can be used for character analysis. I ask myself the following
question, “Why am I using this particular text?” If the answer is, “I already
have it in front of me,” well, honestly, that answer is not validating why the
text should be used (unless you are just starting out and you are slowly
implementing close reading. But, again, I encourage you to step away from the
basal). Always ask yourself, “What is the purpose for this close read?”
and “Does this text fit this purpose the best?” So many times
teachers reach for that stand-by text that has been read every year, or the
story of the week from the basal. Not saying there is anything wrong with that,
but if that is your reasoning, you may want to look for another text to use
because that text may not be a good fit for your close read. Some teachers
like to select the text first and then find or write questions that can be
used. I think it’s easier to look at what standards I am teaching, pull out
questions that would fit the purpose of teaching those standards, and then look
for a text that would be a good fit. You can’t just whip out a book and grab
some questions to ask. You MUST read the text before hand and really think
about what questions are most appropriate for the purpose you have chosen, and
which questions are those deeper thinking questions. The questions you choose
will be determined by your standards as well as the text itself.
get it by clicking the image below. or {here}. Enjoy!
until I found what worked best for me, so I know it can be really difficult to get
close reads going smoothly. I am excited to announce that I offering webinars to share how I implement close reads and text
selection along with more information! Click here to see the upcoming webinars and select a date that works for you. You can also join my email list to stay updated. You can fill out the form below:
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