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What it is and why we should care

Close Reading. What it is and why we should care. Angie Manzano Daegu International School.

belinda-lopez
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What it is and why we should care

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  1. Close Reading What it is and why we should care Angie Manzano Daegu International School

  2. “CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1Read closely to determinewhat 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.” Common Core wants us to do at least SOMEclose reading “ ” So what exactly is it?

  3. In a nutshell, close reading entails • a) reading and rereadinghigh-quality, complex fiction and non-fiction texts • b) extensive scaffolding to make the content comprehensible to all students • c) asking text-specific questions to get to the heart of what the text says (both literal and implied meanings), how it says it (authors’ craft), and what it means (the moral or larger purpose of the text)

  4. Comparison: Three ways of deriving meaning from a text • Historicism (Scholasticism/Materialism): The contextgives the text meaning. Focus on the social, cultural, historical, biographical context of the text. • Close Reading (New Criticism/Formalism): The meaning is in the text itself. Focus on text. • Reader Response (Postmodernism): The reader creates the text’s meaning. Focus on the reader’s feelings and response to the text.

  5. What’s wrong with the other ways of deriving meaning from text? However, an excessive amount of attention to context and reader response has led to the following problems . . . It’s not that the other ways of approaching texts are wrong. Other methods might be more appropriate for particular books or learning goals or students.

  6. Problems with current reading instruction • Students are reading texts that aren’t challenging enough. • They aren’t reading high-quality texts. • They are rushing through their texts. • They spend more time doing pre-reading activities than actually reading. • They make judgments about texts before they truly understand what the text says. • Teachers place greater emphasis on teaching specific strategies than teaching the specific content of texts. • We ask general, non-specific questions that could be asked of almost any text. • We ask questions that students can answer without truly understanding the text.

  7. Can close reading solve these problems? Is it really that different from the other approaches? Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

  8. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Different students will read different texts, based upon their “just right” reading levels. All students read the same, challenging, complicated texts. Don’t avoid “frustration level” texts. Challenge is good. #1 #1

  9. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Let students choose their own texts. Any text at their “just right” level will do. Teachers carefully choose fictionand non-fictiontexts that can be appreciated on multiple levels. Choose texts that don’t give up their meaning easily, texts that require multiple, careful readings in order to be understood. #2 #2

  10. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Give lots of background information about the text and do lots of purpose-setting, pre-reading activities. Let the students discover the story on their own. Don’t give too much away. Anticipate potential challenges, but don’t try to head them off—challenge is good. (It’s kind of like FOSS: Inquiry/discovery-based learning) #3 #3

  11. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Students should read independently. If they can’t answer questions after a single reading, the text is too challenging. Students should read with teacher’s support, scaffolding and direct instruction. If the students can answer questions after a single reading, the text is not challenging enough. #4 #4

  12. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Ask lots of general questions that could apply to almost any text in that genre. • Ex: What is the main idea? Ask text-specific questions. Let the author determine what questions we should ask, instead of using preconceived notions about what questions we should ask in that particular genre. #5 #5

  13. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Ask questions that tell you more about the reader than the text, questions that can be answered with scant reference to or understanding of the text. Ex: The character felt sad when his friend died. Tell about a time when you felt like this character. Ask questions that require careful, close reading in order to discover what the text says, how it says it, and what it means. “Critical thinking is not just what do you think or feel about something. It’s daring to follow the depth of an author's argument and allow it to really make an impression on you.” --David Coleman #6 #6

  14. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading #7 #7 The goal of reading is to practice reading strategies. Ex: Students will read Arabian Nights in order to identify cause and effect. The goal of reading is to understand the text. Start with a challenging text, then choose the strategies best suited to teach that particular text. Delve into the content. Push the students with specific, challenging questions and discussions. Ex: Students will read Arabian Nights in orderfind out what the text says, how it says it, and what it means. “[W]e lavish so much attention on these strategies in place of reading. I urge us instead to just read.” --David Coleman

  15. common reading instruction practicesvs. Close reading practices Not Close Reading Close Reading Speed it up. Push students to increase the quantity of pages and/or books that they read in a given period of time. Slow it down. Be patient. Focus on the quality and depth of students’ understanding. Lavish careful attention on worthy texts in order to understand them deeply. Take time to explore vocabulary, trace author’s arguments, and notice the author’s craft. #8 #8

  16. Examples of questions for 2nd grade close reading of Gilgamesh the King First Reading: What does it say? Second Reading: How does it say it? Third Reading: What does it mean? What did Enkidu do when Gilgamesh slipped and fell off the wall? Why did he do this? After Enkidu saves Gilgmesh, Gilgamesh tells Enkidu, “You are my brother.” Why does Gilgamesh say this? Are they really brothers? One of the lessons of the story is that people can change for the better. Explain how each of the main characters changed for the better. What made them change?

  17. FAQs 1. Won’t the kids be bored with so much rereading? • They could be—if you choose the wrong texts. Close reading is not suitable for all texts. Close reading requires challenging, well-crafted, interesting texts that don’t reveal their meaning easily. • CCSS does not specify how teachers should scaffold instruction. We can read the texts aloud, teach difficult vocabulary, and do reenactments or dramatizations of confusing sequences in the text. It is up to us to decide how best to scaffold instruction for our students. 2. How should we scaffold instruction for students who can’t read these texts? • You can, but try to avoid directing attention away from the text. The key is to make sure students interact with and understand the text deeply beforeforming opinions and judgments.  3.  Does this mean I can't ask personal connections questions or do pre-reading activities in a close reading lesson?

  18. Keep in mind Although CCSS and its authors advocate close reading and provide exemplars of close reading lessons and texts, “No set of grade-specific standards can fully reflect the great variety in abilities, needs, learning rates, and achievement levels of students in any given classroom . . . While the Standards focus on what is most essential, they do not describe all that can or should be taught.” --CCSS ELA Key Design Consideration

  19. Want more information? Click on the references links for more information. Get in touch with me if you want to share ideas about how to implement close reading.

  20. References • Coleman, David. Bringing the Common Core toLife.http://vimeo.com/25242442#at=0 • Coleman, David and Sue Pimentel. Common Core ELA Revised Publisher’s Criteria http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Publishers_Criteria_for_K-2.pdf • Common Core ELA Introduction, Key Design Consideration http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/introduction/key-design-consideration • Common Core ELA Appendix A http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf • Porter-Magee, Kathleen. “How will reading instruction change when aligned to the Common Core?” http://www.edexcellence.net/commentary/education-gadfly-daily/common-core-watch/2012/how-will-reading-instruction-change-when-aligned-to-the-common-core.html • Shanahan, Tim. “Close Reading Webinar.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ir257Dfvas • Shanahan, Tim. “Common Core Shifts.” https://www.google.co.kr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fleadinginlee.weebly.com%2Fuploads%2F1%2F3%2F4%2F7%2F13470716%2Ffarren_-_the_instructional_shifts_of_common_core.ppt&ei=mD9yUsTTHIf-lAXDxYCQDw&usg=AFQjCNGDNv1XY3VgtEWr0OoDSvqYmLWuzg&bvm=bv.55819444,d.dGI&cad=rjt • Shanahan, Tim. “Five Pre-reading Pitfalls to Avoid.” http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/five-prereading-pitfalls.php?type=author&id=106

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