Close Reading Developing Fiction and Nonfiction “Super Sleuths” Jeni Dwyre, Grades K-3 Literacy Coach Kearsley Community Schools “

What is Close Reading? Jot a few thoughts about: -What you do when you closely read a text you selected yourself -What motivates you to pay particularly close attention to a portion of a text? What do you do during that close reading? What is your working definition? of CR? Turn and talk

ANCHOR STANDARDS Key Ideas and Details Craft and Structure CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Craft and Structure CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.1 CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Key Ideas and Details What the text says Implications for the Reader Close reading Determine importance Cite evidence Draw conclusions Key ideas Author’s purpose or gist Supporting ideas Summarize Organization Development of an idea CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Craft and Structure How the text works CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Implications for the Reader Technical vocabulary Text Structure Point of View Author’s Purpose

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas How the text measures up and compares to other texts CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. Implications for the Reader Diverse media and formats Evaluate argument and claims Cross text comparisons Theme

My Working Definition as of 1-18-14 Close reading involves s-l-o-w-i-n-g down in order to: read carefully, and with purpose engage with the text notice note analyze discuss reread construct deeper meaning

Close Reading Defined Beers & Probst, 2013 Pearson & Gallagher, 1983 as cited in Brown & Kappes, 2012 Beers & Probst, 2013 “It (CR) should imply that we bring the text and the reader close together…when the reader is brought into the text we have the opportunity for relevance, engagement, and rigor." Close reading should suggest close attention to the text; close attention to the relevant experience, thought, and memory of the reader; close attention to the responses and interpretations of other readers; and close attention to the interactions among those elements.” “Often involves rereading of short portions of a text with intensity, and then you bring ideas from those short rereads to longer sections of the book.”

More experts on Close Reading Lehman, 2013 Fisher, Frey, and Lapp, “Close reading is a careful, purposeful rereading of a text.” Key points: short passages rereading reading with a pencil noticing things that are confusing discussing the text with others responding to text-dependent questions “Close reading is when a reader independently stops at moments in a text (or media or life) to reread and observe the choices an author has made. He or she reflects on those observations to reach for new understandings that can color the way the rest of the book is read (or song heard or life lived) and thought about.”

Common Annotation Marks Reading with a Pencil Underlining Vertical lines at the margin Star, asterisk, or other doodad at the margin Numbers in the margin Numbers of other pages in the margin Circling of key words or phrases Writing in the margin, or at top or bottom of the page

Close Reading: Fiction & Nonfiction “Nonfiction lets us learn more; fiction lets us be more.” Kylene Beers, 2013 Fiction Nonfiction Read with purpose Noticing patterns Story vocabulary Character, setting, plot, theme Determine important ideas Cite evidence Critical Literacy Read with purpose Noticing variety of structures Specialized Vocabulary Content/Information Determine important information/ideas Cite evidence Text features

Steps in Doing a Close Reading Fisher, Frey, Lapp Establish the purpose with students First Reading: Students read Independently (teacher may read aloud for emergent readers) First Discussion: Partner Talk to Check Meaning Second Discussion (Partners; Share out with whole group): Assessing for Understanding and Confusions Second Reading: Teacher-led Shared Reading and Think Aloud (confusing parts/words or comprehension modeling) Third Discussion: Text-dependent Questions-revisit text as needed Writing: One method is summarizing (include textual evidence and supporting details) IMPORTANT: This is one structure for teaching students to read closely. Teaching habits or rituals guides them more quickly toward independence. We don’t want to be formulaic, but rather purposeful.

Let’s See CR in Action Close Reading of Grumpy Cat with Kindergarten-First Grade Focus Three nonfiction lessons to take back to your classroom: Apples by Gail Gibbons Starfish by Hurd (located in article: “Student’s Close Reading of Science Texts”) “Flying Solo” article

Meaning is created not purely and simply from the words on the page, but from the transaction with those words that takes place in the reader’s mind. (page 35) “Just as rigor does not reside in the barbell but in the act of lifting it, rigor in reading is not an attribute of a text but rather of a reader’s behavior—engaged, observant, responsive, questioning, analytical. The close reading strategies will help you cultivate those critical reading habits that will make your students more attentive, thoughtful, independent readers.” -Kylene Beers & Robert E. Probst

Third Grade Super Sleuths Signpost Again and Again using excerpts from Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo “Maybe she keeps saying ‘turtle shell’ because he’s like a turtle just avoiding his problems-stuffing his turtle shell.” “I think they keep on talking about his turtle shell because he is probably hiding his feelings.” “I think the thing about the turtle shell meant the dad never spends time with his daughter.” “I think maybe that when Opal said he is pulling his head back in his turtle shell he does not want to listen anymore.”

Try It Out! Put on your thinking/sleuthing cap, grab your pencil and notepad, and come along! We will do a close reading of “Ten Year Old” by Nikki Giovanni

Words of Use CR with clear purpose Teach it when they need it Don’t overuse, or “readicide” (killing the love of reading) could occur Let students struggle productively with text, without rescuing If used out of context or in isolation, students may not fully develop as independent readers of complex text CR should be done in groups/partnerships with teacher support and LOTS of peer discussion Students need repeated modeling by teacher, with gradual release

“Teach It When They Need It” CR is one instructional approach that moves readers forward in meeting the CCSS Not intended to replace other sound reading instructional practices Plan for CR and use it purposefully Can be tedious and lead to disengagement Can be used with an excerpt from an article to expand understanding of how author developed idea. Students can apply this understanding to comprehend parts of same text OR chunks of other text. Understanding of craft or content helps reader to write and comprehend other texts without close reading Transference is the goal!

Reflection Pair and Share Look back at your working definition of close reading? Has it changed? How has your thinking about CR changed? What will you do in the near future with CR in your classroom, and in your own learning? Pair and Share

Videos to Watch Close Reading Lessons Text Annotations http://vimeo.com/76626667 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5ilpCAepY Text Annotations http://youtu.be/jrly3EtnT8I http://youtu.be/IzrWOj0gWHU What is close reading? By: Douglas Fisher Notice and Note Video Study Guide With Kylene Beers and Bob Probst http://youtu.be/5w9v6-zUg3Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2jlYYN5tnI&list=PL_GgTmioQJQm_jE11tww20lzXdr7G258W http://youtu.be/JhGI5zdjpvc

Professional Resources Blogs, Twitter, and Websites http://christopherlehman.wordpress.com/about/ http://kateandmaggie.com/ http://kylenebeers.com/blog/ http://www.fisherandfrey.com/ http://www.sunday-cummins.com/index.html http://www.teachingthecore.com/non-freaked-out-common-core-close-reading/

Professional Resources