Close Reading

Jennifer Corbett, Ed.S.jennifer.corbett@cowetascho

ols.org

Overview

Research

Close reading instruction

Practices

Short texts

Rereading

Text-dependent questions

Annotation

After-reading tasks

Application

Objectives

To know the importance, key principles, and indicators of modeling thinking of complex text through think-alouds, demonstrations, and annotation

Identify characteristics of a quality purpose statement, understand how a quality purpose statement will support students in accessing complex texts, and engage in and complete tasks assigned

What is close reading?

Essentially, close reading means reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension (Boyles, 2013).

Close reading is an instructional routine in which students critically examine a text, especially through repeated readings (Fisher & Frey, 2012).

Why close reading?

With the increase of rigor due to the Common Core State Standards, every student needs to learn academic English (Barrow, 2014).

Common Core State Standard – ELACC RI & RL

ELACC6RL1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

PARCC standard

Common Core

PARCC

Short texts – literary & informational

Folktales

Legends

Myths

Short stories

Poetry

Scenes from plays

Sections of a novel (a sentence, paragraph, or page)

Short articles

Biographies

Personal narratives

Example – scene from a play

An extended metaphor from Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl

We’ve had bad news. The people from whom Miep got our ration books have been arrested. So we have had to cut down on our food. Our stomachs are so empty that they rumble and make strange noises, all in different keys. Mr. Van Daan’s is deep and low, like a bass fiddle. Mine is high, whistling like a flute. As we all sit around waiting for supper, it’s like an orchestra tuning up. It only needs Toscanini to raise his baton and we’d be off in the “Ride of the Valkyries.”

Rereading

The idea

To expand the reader’s purpose with each rereading

Students look for evidence to cite in response to specific questions

Rereading can be completed

independently

with peers, or through

think-alouds

Rereading

Why the Bear Has a Short Tail (on LearnZillion)

Sources

Video (6 minutes)

Power Point

Handout of notes for rereading

Copy of the story

Think-alouds

Generally more appropriate for k-3

An intro to annotation using sticky notes

One significant difference between a think aloud and a read aloud is that during a read aloud you teach (for example, predictions, character traits, beginning, middle and end, story elements and so forth). However, during a think aloud you model your thinking (in other words your reading comprehension) out loud as you read (Patsalides, 2012).

Six Types of Text-Dependent Questions

Whole Question Types

Across Text

Entire Text

Segments

Paragraph

Sentence

Word

Part

Opinions, ArgumentsIntertextual

Connections

Inferences

Author’s Purpose

Vocabulary and Text Structure

Key Details

General Understanding

Text Dependent Questions

Click here to read Eleven by Sandra Cisneros

Question type

General understanding

After line 75, retell what’s happened to Rachel up to this point in the story?

Key Details In lines 16 – 19 Rachel compares growing old to three different things. Tell how all three things are alike. Explain in your own words Rachel’s idea about growing up.

Vocabulary & Test Structure

Read the boxed paragraph a couple of times to yourself. Notice the words and phrases that help you experience Rachel’s feelings in your imagination.

Author’s Purpose From what point of view is this story told? Circle the pronouns in lines 24 – 30.

Inferences What do you infer about how Mrs. Price feels about Rachel? What do you infer about Mrs. Price’s character?

Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections

In your opinion, do you think the teacher handled this situation appropriately? What could she have done differently to find the owner of the sweater?

Craft technique & possible questions

Figurative language• simile• metaphor• personification • symbols

What is being compared?Why is the comparison effective?What symbols are present? Why did the author choose these symbols?

Word choice What words stand out and why?Did the author use nonstandard English? Why? What was the effect?

Tone and voice What one word describes the tone?Is the voice formal or informal?Does the voice seem appropriate for the content?

• Sentence structure• Short sentences• Long sentences• Sentence fragments

Why did the author choose a short sentence here?Why did the author write a fragment here?

Your turn

Let’s take a short passage and create a table of text-dependent questions based on the two examples presented.

Annotating texts

Before reading

During reading

After reading

Free lesson plans online to introduce students to annotating texts

Activities also available with textbooks (i.e. Holt)

AKA Dialogue with Text

Make predictions

Ask questions

State opinions

Analyze author’s craft

Make connections

Reflect

Modeling annotation

Model texts with annotations (from previous students)

“They can see that there is no one right way to annotate but that there are patterns and categories that seem to be used by readers as they work to make sense of their reading.” (Porter-O’Donnell, 2004).

Alternatives for students with no books

Photocopy selected documents and public domain texts

Keep a dialectical journal

information interpretation

Student work sample

Annotation Pinterest - bookmark

s

Teachers Pay

Teachers

Classroom posters

Close listening

Interactive read-alouds (Fisher, Flood, Lapp & Frey, 2004)

Text-based questions are answered orally

Because children’s listening comprehension outpaces their reading comprehension in the early grades, it’s important that your students build knowledge through being read to as well as through independent reading, with the balance gradually shifting to silent, independent reading (Boyles, 2013).

Jigsaw - Earth ScienceStorms

thunderstorms tornadoes

snowstorms hurricanes

Additional Strategies

Vocabulary

Get moving (Barrow, 2014)

Chunking

Clunks & clues organizer (ReadWriteThink.org)

Student/teacher conference

Conference form for reread and close read (Robb, 2009)

Practice

From Natalie Babbitt’s Tuck Everlasting

How would you use close reading to guide students to understanding how the man in the yellow suit and the constable got along during their ride in chapter 16?

FYI – the typical response is, “Good.”

What if the students were to role play this?

References Barrow, M. (2014). Evan math requires learning academic language. Phi Delta

Kappan, 95 (6), 35-38.

Boyles, N. (2013). Closing in on close reading. Educational Leadership, 70 (4), 36-41.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2012). Close reading in elementary schools. The Reading Teacher, 66 (3), 179-188.

Fisher, D. & Frey, N. (2013). Rigorous reading. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. (2014). Structure of the model content frameworks for ELA/literacy. Retrieved June 8, 2014, from http://www.parcconline.org/mcf/english-language-artsliteracy/structure-model-content-frameworks-elaliteracy

Patsalides, L. (2012). Think aloud: The new read aloud. Retrieved June 9, 2014, from http://www.brighthubeducation.com/middle-school-science-lessons/4014-chrysanthemum-lesson-plan/?cid=parsely_rec#

Porter-O’Donnell, C. (2004). Beyond the yellow highlighter: Teaching annotation skills to improve reading comprehension. English Journal, 93 (5), 82-89.

Robb, L. (2009). Assessments for differentiating reading instruction. New York: Scholastic, Inc.