1. Close Reading and Text Dependent Questions
Presented by:
Kelly Philbeck

2. Instructional Shifts Required by the Common Core
Increasing rigor and relevance
Sharing responsibility of teaching reading and writing across content areas
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational text
Reading, writing, speaking and listening grounded in evidence from texts
Practicing regularly with complex text and its academic vocabulary
Emphasizing 3 modes of academic writing 2
05/30/13 2

3. What is Close Reading?
Methodical investigation of a complex text through…
Answering text-dependent questions
Unpacking the text’s meaning
Directing students to:
examine and analyze text at a deep level of critical thinking
focus on word/sentence meaning
focus on development of events and ideas
extract evidence from the text
make non-trivial inferences based on what they have read

4. Close Reading and the CCSS
Anchor Standards for Reading
Prioritize close reading skills of:
Extracting evidence (Standard 1)
Making inferences (Standard 1)
Reading complex text (Standard 10)
Determining central idea/theme (Standard 2)
Building knowledge by comparing two or more texts (Standard 9)
Citing evidence to support conclusions (1 & 10)

5. Close Reading and the CCSS, Part 1
Dr. Douglas Fisher
Close Reading and the CCSS, Part 1
2:30 min video and VIDEO VIEWING GUIDE HANDOUT
Refer back to fall 2011 Publisher’s Criteria activity (Write Around Activity using the butcher paper) At that time Close Reading was used multiple times in the PC. Linda spent a little time discussing the impact CR would eventually have on instruction, but little did we know how much!
"Close reading is an instructional approach that requires readers to re-read a text several times and really develop a deep understanding of the content contained in the text. The purpose is to build the habits of readers as they engage with the complex texts and to build their stamina and skills for being able to do so independently. However, close reading doesn’t mean that you simply distribute a complex reading and then exhort them to read it again and again until they understand it. As part of a close reading, students "read with a pencil" and learn to annotate as they go. In addition, they are asked text-dependent questions that require that they produce evidence from the text as part of their responses. - Dr. Douglas Fisher

6. Close Reading and the CCSS, Part 2
Dr. Douglas Fisher
Close Reading and the CCSS, Part 2
2:37 min video

7. “Close Reading” Matters
Why Depth through
“Close Reading” Matters
Close reading instruction:
Requires careful attention to how the text unfolds through asking text-dependent questions.
Focuses on building knowledge through the strategic use of text- dependent questions.
Can prepare students for the kinds of reading tasks they will encounter after graduation.
Despite its name, close reading has a lot more to do with writing than reading! (Fisher)
Go over slide and refer TLs to the article posted on our website for additional information: Close Reading and the CCSS

8. What Makes Text Complex?
Vocabulary: Knowledge of word meaning
Sentence Structure: How the words operate together
Coherence: How particular words, ideas, and sentences in text connect with one another
Organization: The patterns authors use to communicate complex information
Background Knowledge: The reader’s prior knowledge
Article is posted on website:
Educational Leadership, March 2012
The Challenge of Challenging Text
Timothy Shanahan, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
These 5 characteristics of a complex text identified by Shanahan, Fisher and Frey is actually the second leg of the TC process, Qualitative. These characteristics are what you are analyzing when you use the Kansas rubric…
How is reading complex text like lifting weights? Just as it's impossible to build muscle without weight or resistance, it's impossible to build robust reading skills without reading challenging text. The common core state standards in language arts treat text difficulty as akin to weight or resistance in an exercise program.
Vocabulary:
Studies show that higher-order thinking in reading depends heavily on knowledge of word meanings… Students' ability to comprehend a piece of text depends on the number of unfamiliar domain-specific words and new general academic terms they encounter.
Sentence Structure:
Words are not the whole picture. Sentence structure matters, too, because it determines how the words operate together. In some cases, complex sentence structures are necessary to communicate the complexity of the information itself—thus the long noun phrases common in science.
Coherence:
How particular words, ideas, and sentences in text connect with one another, a feature referred to as coherence.
Organization:
The patterns authors use to communicate complex information… Ideas can be arranged across text in many ways, some more straightforward than others.
Background:
Vocabulary, sentence structure, coherence, and organization can all be determined by closely analyzing the text itself. A final determinant of text difficulty, however, depends on the reader's prior knowledge. Students' background knowledge, including developmental, experiential, and cognitive factors, influences their ability to understand the explicit and inferential qualities of a text.
Educational Leadership, March 2012
The Challenge of Challenging Text
Timothy Shanahan, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

9. A Text Dependent Approach
Key Shift in CCSS from 4.1
A Text Dependent Approach

10. Elements of Close Reading Instruction
Instruction should…
Focus on words, sentences, paragraphs that pose the biggest challenge to confidence, comprehension, and stamina
Ask text dependent questions that require students to closely examine the text
Ask students to make inferences based on evidence beyond what is explicitly stated
Pay close attention to a variety of text structures

11. Elements of Close Reading Instruction
A teacher should…
Focus on a sequential/integrated line of inquiry
Synthesize and organize evidence, demonstrating understanding both orally and through writing
Become aware of nuances in word meaning AND
Acquire knowledge of general academic vocabulary to understand a range of complex texts

12. What are Text-Dependent Questions?
Draw the reader back to the text to discover what it says.
Have concrete and explicit answers rooted in the text.
Frame inquiries in ways that do not rely on a mix of personal opinion, background information, and imaginative speculation.
Direct them to the first handout – Principles Informing Close Reading – end 8:30
© 2012 The Aspen Institute

13. Text Dependent Questions
Characteristics:
Questions must originate from the text itself
Questions focus on a word, sentence, paragraph(s)
Open, not leading questions
Provide learning opportunity for students
Require thought/discussion about the question (no right answer immediately provided)
Cause students to linger over portions of the text, looking for specific answers, not just “getting the gist”

14. Which of these books would you rather read? Why?

15. Rigorous Text-Dependent Questions should not be…
Low-level, literal, or recall questions
“right there” questions
Focused on comprehension strategies
Just questions…

16. Text Dependent Questions…
Can be used to…
Identify key ideas in complex text
Should cause students to think at higher levels by…
Make logical inferences
Draw conclusions
Engage in arguments based on what the text syas

17. Non-Examples and Examples
Not Text-Dependent
Text-Dependent
In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something.
In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair.
In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?
What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous?
What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received?
“The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

18. Close Reading of a Sample Text
Read the AAIW excerpt using Close Reading strategies…

19. What did you do as a “Close Reader” when you read the excerpt from ?
Reflect on this question then explain to an elbow partner how you could teach this skill to your students.

20. (Another Specialized Piece of Equipment)
Moves from literal to interpretive
Requires students to return to the text to formulate responses
Now we’re going to add TDQ another specialized piece of equipment for
Text-dependent Questioning
(Another Specialized Piece of Equipment)

21. Why Ask Text Dependent Questions
80 to 90% of the ELA Reading Standards in each grade level require text dependent analysis
One of the first and most important steps to implementing the ELA Common Core Standards is to focus on identifying, evaluating, and creating text-dependent questions
Deep Reading, the kind encouraged by the common core standards, asks students to “read like a detective”, looking closely for details
Rather than asking students questions about their prior knowledge or experiences, the standards expect students to struggle with text-dependent questions

22. 80-90% of (CCSS) reading standards require text-dependent analysis yet over 30% of questions in major textbooks do not.
Sue Pimentel, Lead Author of Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy

23. Inferences
Probe each argument in persuasive text, each idea in informational text, each key detail in literary text, and observe how these build to a whole.
Fisher and Frey sum up TDQs this way…

24. Non-Text Dependent Questions
Examples from Alice in Wonderland:
Are books without pictures or conversations useful?
How would you react if you saw a talking rabbit?
Would Alice have followed the rabbit down the hole if she had not seen it look at a watch?
What do you know about Lewis Carroll?

25. Text Dependent Questions
What kind of books does Alice find useful?
How did Alice react when she saw a talking rabbit?
Why did Alice follow the rabbit down the hole?
What does the reader know about the rabbit?

26. Text versus Non-Text-Dependent Questions Non-Text-Dependent Questions
Differences in Depth:
Text versus Non-Text-Dependent Questions
Non-Text-Dependent Questions
Text-Dependent Questions
Are books without pictures or conversations useful?
What kind of books does Alice find useful?
How would you react if you
saw a talking rabbit?
How did Alice react when she saw a talking rabbit?
Would Alice have followed the rabbit down the hole had she not seen it look at a watch?
Why did Alice follow the rabbit down the rabbit-hole?
What do you know about
Lewis Carroll?
What does the reader know about the rabbit?
Let’s go back to Alice…
Selecting: there’s work to be done beyond identifying lexile scores and grade bands
Sorting: almost all schools are way out of balance with respect to literary and informational text
Share: the equity issues for Els are complex
AFTER REVIEWING QUESTIONS…
Refer TLs to “A Guide to Creating Text Dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading” HANDOUT

27. Text Dependent Questions
Do NOT rely on…
Personal opinion
Background information
Imaginative speculation

28. Text Dependent Questions…
Require students to engage with text at higher levels.
Discover answers by extracting evidence from the text.
Are CCSS aligned questions (mirror CCSS aligned assessments).

29. Text Dependent Questions
Level of Text Specificity
CCSS Anchor Standard
Close Reading Skill
Text Dependent Question
Word/Phrase
Analyze how specific word choices shape tone (Standard 4)
Why wasn’t Alice “burning with curiosity” when she initially saw the rabbit? What events led her to feeling this way?
Sentence
Assess how point of view shapes content
(Standard 6)
In the opening paragraph, Alice states “what is the use of a book…without pictures or conversation?” What does that sentence reveal about her?
Paragraph
Summarize key supporting details (Standard 2)
Around which word or phrase does the meaning of the third paragraph pivot? Explain w/evidence.

30. Text Dependent Questions and CCSS
Determine ideas or themes and analyze their development(Standard 2)
Summarize key supporting details and ideas (Standard 2)
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact (Standard 3)
Analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone (Standard 4)
Interpret technical, connotative, and figurative meanings of words and phrases (Standard 4)
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics (Standard 9)
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style (Standard 6)
Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats (Standard 7)
Assess the validity of the reasoning (Standard 8)
Assess the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence (Standard 8)

31. Increased Ability to Use Text Evidence Increasing Range and Complexity
Bands
11-CCR
9-10
6-8
4-5
2-3
K-1
Standard One
Standard Ten
Bands
11-CCR
9-10
6-8
4-5
2-3
K-1
Standards Two through Nine
Increased Ability to Use Text Evidence
Increasing Range and Complexity

32. Progression of Text-dependent Questions
Opinions, Arguments,
Intertextual Connections
Inferences
Author’s Purpose
Vocab & Text Structure
Key Details
General Understandings
Whole
Across texts
Entire text
Segments
IRA Publication, Fisher/Frey: Text Dependent Questions Article posted on the website that explains this graphic in detail. I will provide an overview of it today…
Types of Text-Dependent Questions:
there are a number of different topics for which text-dependent questions can be developed. There are questions that focus on parts of texts, and there are questions that focus on whole texts.
Have one thing in common: They require that readers have read and understood the text. Some TDQs will require that they return to the text and reread to find evidence.
Figure 1 also suggests something about the frequency of types of text dependent questions.
For example, general understanding and key detail questions occur more frequently than inferences and opinions.
This should not be seen as a rigid hierarchy or that the questions must be asked in this order.
However, it is essential to understand that different types of knowledge are utilized when deeply understanding a text.
Fisher and Frey provide this graphic and explanation of each type of question so that teachers can plan lessons that include TDQs.
General understandings.
Ensure that students grasp the overall view of the text. Often they are global questions, but questions that require that students demonstrate an understanding of what the author really said
Key details.
These TDQs require that readers pay attention to the details.
Vocabulary and text structure.
These TDQs focus on the specific words and phrases the author uses as well as the structure of the text. This requires that the reader bridge literal and inferential meanings,
Author’s purpose.
Although often not specifically stated, there is a purpose for each text.
Inferences.
Inferences are more than guesses or simply telling students to “read between the lines.” Readers should know how to probe each argument in persuasive text, each idea in informational text, each key detail in literary text, and observe how these build to a whole.
TDQs should allow students to consider the information that is provided and then make informed extrapolations from the information provided.
Opinions, arguments, and intertextual connections.
The final category of TDQs are often the questions that teachers like to ask because these questions tend to generate a lot of discussion and personal connections. When they follow a discussion built on text dependent questions, they work well for this purpose.
If they are used in place of text-dependent questions, the risk is that students will answer and not need to read the text.
As such, teachers can unintentionally telegraph a message to students suggesting that reading and understanding are not necessary. When these questions are used, they can analyze claims, evidence, and counterclaims.
Paragraph
Sentence
Word
Part

33. Framing Text Dependent Questions
Why did the author choose a particular word?
Analyze the impact of syntax of a sentence
Collect evidence
Test comprehension of key ideas/arguments
Analyze how portions of the text relate to each other and the whole
Look for pivot points in a paragraph
Track down patterns in a text
Notice what is missing or understood
Investigate beginnings and endings of a text

34. Guidelines for Creating Text-Dependent Questions
Step One:
Identify the core understandings and key ideas of the text. (with standards/learning targets in mind)
Step Two:
Start small to build confidence.
Step Three:
Target vocabulary and text structure.
Step Four:
Tackle tough sections head-on.
Step Five:
Create coherent sequences of text-dependent questions.
Step Six:
Identify the standards that are being addressed.
Step Seven:
Create the culminating assessment.
This is not a formula – not every text will require the same process. These are guidelines.
Questions that directly address difficult sections of the text help with breaking down complexity. Help student to extract and create meaning where they otherwise wouldn't.
How many questions is enough? It varies from text to text.
Check “alignment to the standards" last, but use the language of the standards in the questions as much as possible.
Over the next few slides we’ll see examples of text dependent questions that address various features of the text.
Refer to the handout – “Long Guide to Creating Text Dependent Questions”

35. “Close Reading” of a Stand-Alone Text
BATS AT THE BEACH HANDOUT

36. © 2012 The Aspen Institute

37. © 2012 The Aspen Institute

38. Tools for Creating Text-Dependent Questions:
Text-Dependent Question Worksheet
A systematic approach to creating text- dependent questions for complex texts while aligning them with the demands of the CCSS.
© 2012 The Aspen Institute

39. Evaluate your TDQ based on the samples provided
Activity
Read the opening of Brian Lies’ Bats at the Beach
With a partner, write one Text-Dependent Question for each stanza aligned to a CCSS anchor standard
Share your question with others at your table
Evaluate your TDQ based on the samples provided
After TLs have written their TDQs and shared out, distribute the TDQ for BATB excerpt handout and have them evaluate their question based on the samples and discuss with your colleagues

40. From Martin Luther King’s author’s note “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
From Martin Luther King’s author’s note “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Instruct TLs to follow the same procedure as they did for Bats at the Beach…. Read the excerpt and write a TDQ
What words gave you some
meaning to this text?

41. Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
From Martin Luther King’s note to “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.
Told me transition words…

42. Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
From Martin Luther King’s note to “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.
Told me that he only had little scraps of paper to write on and he made use of all of them
Lonely, but still communicating

43. Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
From Martin Luther King’s note to “Letter from Birmingham Jail”: Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.
Trusty: A convict regarded as worthy of trust and therefore granted special privileges.

44. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” demonstrates that:
An effective text dependent question delves into a text to guide students in extracting the key meanings or ideas and events found there.
Text dependent questions begin by exploring specific words, details, explanations and arguments.
Teachers investigate the text through utilizing the Anchor and/or Grade-level Reading Standards to generate the question.
The Letter from Birmingham Jail is found in Appendix B: Grade 9-10 Text Exemplar for ELA (NOT History/Soc. Studies)
A short text exemplar that demonstrates the effective use of words to

45. Text Dependent Question
Write your own Text-Dependent Question for the MKL piece.

46. Writing Text Dependent Questions
Practice with your own texts.

47. Beware of Basals!!

48. Text-Dependent Questions and Basal Readers
Basal reading programs by the four major publishers comprise 80% of all the texts used in elementary and middle school
Most of these texts rely heavily on non-text based pre-reading activities that “digest and regurgitate” the primary text and eliminate the need for close reading…
© 2012 The Aspen Institute

49. Text-Dependent Questions and Basal Readers
… which wouldn’t be necessary anyway since most of these basal readers include a high proportion of non-text dependent questions (including the writing prompts for basal texts)…
… and required students to perform multiple tasks that are irrelevant to understanding the text being read (i.e. focus on using comprehension strategies as an end in themselves)

50. Because of Winn Dixie—Examples of Non-Text Dependent Questions
Was there ever a time where an animal scared you? (Personal experience)
Can bears really eat people? (Imaginative speculation)
Will Opal and Amanda ever be friends? (Opinion)
Explain how reading this story made you feel about visiting a library? (Background knowledge and personal experience)

51. TDQ: Beware of Basals
As you read this story, what do you think about plants and animals in Florida?
How can an older woman make her library safe from unwanted visitors?
This author has won prizes for her books. Why? Find a part of this story you think could win a prize. –- This of course asks the student to have a grasp of the criteria that publishers use in awarding prizes
In Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal tells about her experiences after moving to a new town. Think about a time that you were a newcomer to a place or situation. Now use vivid words to write a memoir about that experience. --- In addition to having very little to do with the selection this question assumes that all 4th or 5th graders have had that experience. More insidiously and as with all these questions it privileges students who have discussed these types of questions with adults- usually children from more educated families.

52. Tools for Creating Text-Dependent Questions:
Basal Reader Review Worksheet
A systematic approach to revising Basal reader questions to align them with the demands of the CCSS.
© 2012 The Aspen Institute

53. Text Dependent Questions
Looking at Pictures and Graphics

54. What does “Fix-it-up” mean?

55. Based on the picture? What is BB Wolf planning to do?

56. Why was Stellaluna embarrassed?

57. Which of these books would you rather read? Why?

58. Based on the covers of the books, what is the mood/tone of each book?