Chances are, you’ve heard of Close Reading. Some of you may already be using strategies in your own classroom, while others haven’t yet begun.
Today, I am going to share some easy to implement steps to follow for a successful close read! You can start right away with these steps!!!
Also, with everything that is happening in the world right now, it is a great time for your students to get lost in a good book. Then go back to reread that same book for comprehension. This strategy is as easy to implement at home as it is in the classroom! The only difference is that their siblings and parents/guardians are their classmates for the sake of this particular strategy.
Also, with everything that is happening in the world right now, it is a great time for your students to get lost in a good book. Then go back to reread that same book for comprehension. This strategy is as easy to implement at home as it is in the classroom! The only difference is that their siblings and parents/guardians are their classmates for the sake of this particular strategy.
First off, close reading does not take place in one day and shouldn't be completed completely independent. You want your students talking to one another about what they are reading and thinking deeply about the text.
Instead, close reading is a series of lessons spanning SEVERAL days. Students work in pairs or in small groups using short reading passages or parts of a familiar book. You want your students to make a deep connection with the text, but in order for that to happen I strongly encourage you to take the time to teach and model the steps you want your students to follow.
There are many ways to implement close reading your classroom. You can have students Think-Pair-Share, or work in small groups, or you can have them work together in another way that works for YOUR STYLE. You do what works for you. I am only here to guide you. :-)
Informational Text Day 1: Read the text. Write down 2 interesting facts from your reading and 2 questions you have.
Day 2: Reread the text. Write down 5 facts from the text in your own words.
Day 3: Reread the text and create a graphic organizer to summarize the main idea and key details.
Day 4: Write 3 questions for a friend to answer and swap papers. Then have students grade one another. They LOVE getting to leave feedback for each other!
Fiction Text Day 1: Read the text. Explain if the main character(s) changed from the beginning to the end of the story. How did they change? Why did they change?
Day 2: Reread the text. What are 3 significant events that helped the main character? Explain how and why the character reacted.
Day 3: Reread the text. What is the theme?
Day 4: Day 4: Write 3 questions for a friend to answer and swap papers. Then have students grade one another.
That's basically it. Easy peasy! And with repeated practice, you will soon see your students ability to tackle challenging texts take off!
I have 3 engaging resources for close reading which parents, teachers, and students LOVE. Click each link to see them in my store:
