The authors' definition: "Close reading is when students are attending carefully to a text, reading it several times, each for a different purpose, and mining it for all they possibly can, while you are close by observing, facilitating, and coaching as needed."
This part of the book incorporates all of the previous things the authors advocate for teachers to use. They introduce their system for close reading, but are quick to point out that there is not one "best way" to do it. They suggest making a system that will work for you and your students after reading about theirs.
Before the close-reading lesson: be picky about text selection and anticipate parts that may be difficult for students (like vocabulary, syntax, and knowledge issues) by reading the text like a student.
During the close-reading lesson: three separate reads of the text for different purposes
(1st read- teacher reads while students follow long, 2nd read- students reread to answer questions, 3rd read- focus on the meatiest parts of the text)
After the close-reading lesson: a culminating assignment for students to express what they've learned
When the Common Core Learning Standards came out, we did close reading lessons with our classes. But the texts we attempted to use were so complex and above grade level that most students couldn't make much sense of them. I'm glad to see this system of close reading that, after enough practice, students could maybe start to use on their own when trying to unpack a difficult text.
This part of the book incorporates all of the previous things the authors advocate for teachers to use. They introduce their system for close reading, but are quick to point out that there is not one "best way" to do it. They suggest making a system that will work for you and your students after reading about theirs.
Before the close-reading lesson: be picky about text selection and anticipate parts that may be difficult for students (like vocabulary, syntax, and knowledge issues) by reading the text like a student.
During the close-reading lesson: three separate reads of the text for different purposes
(1st read- teacher reads while students follow long, 2nd read- students reread to answer questions, 3rd read- focus on the meatiest parts of the text)
After the close-reading lesson: a culminating assignment for students to express what they've learned
When the Common Core Learning Standards came out, we did close reading lessons with our classes. But the texts we attempted to use were so complex and above grade level that most students couldn't make much sense of them. I'm glad to see this system of close reading that, after enough practice, students could maybe start to use on their own when trying to unpack a difficult text.