Comprehending complex text through Close Reading

Comprehending complex textthrough Close Reading February 2013 Adapted by: Pam Scudder From the work of Laura Robb

Thinking about purpose When we plan we need to remember to set the purpose for reading. This is in the target-It’s much easier to hit the mark, find the evidence, and think critically if the students are not going into the text totally blind. House activity Read House and find everything that is important to you.

When Do We Read Closely? • When we come upon a word, phrase, paragraph, that we know is important. • When we come upon a word, phrase, paragraph, that we know is important, but we don’t understand. • EVERY time we read.. • Assume that every word and phrase carries meaning. • Read like a writer—analyzing for writer’s craft.

How Do We Read Closely? • Read: • Word by word • Phrase by phrase • Sentence by sentence • Line by line

Getting Started • Read the Title of the piece: Another Missing Person: Nazi Occupation • by Weekly Reader Ask yourself…“What do I know about this topic?”

Next…Get Mentally Prepared! • If you don’t know about the topic… • No worries! • Just prepare yourself!

Reading Complex Text… “We change our reading rate based on the demands of text. It’s not just reading the words…it’s thinking about what you’re reading.” Laura Robb

Prepare Yourself! Prepare to… • Read slowly. • Read closely. • Read thoughtfully. • RE-READ when you need to make sense of words, sentences, paragraphs, or overall meaning.

Now… • Read the FIRST paragraph What do you remember? What did you understand?

Mark the Text! Re-Read the first paragraph • Highlight words/phrases that you think are important to the text. • Are there bolded words? What do they mean?

Talk it Over… • With a reading partner, discuss the words/phrases that you chose. • Discuss WHY you chose these words/phrases to be significant. • Discuss WHY you think the author chose these words and phrases?

Now… • Readthe second and third paragraph. • Do a Think Aloud with your partner, discussing inferences you made as you were reading. • Use this formula—Inference + BECAUSE+ Facts from the text.

Stick to the Text! • You may make an inference or think “Oh, this reminds me of…”a biography of Adolph Hitler, a documentary on prison camps, or Anne Frank, but… • There is NO mention of Hitler in the text • There are NO references to Anne Frank in the text • There is NO detailed information on prison camps in the text.

Own Your Thoughts! “Show your thinking with evidence from the text, then you own that knowledge.” Laura Robb

Now…What’s the Big Idea?? • Read the rest of the piece, thinking about the big ideas that the author communicates in these paragraphs. • Discuss big ideas with your reading partner.

It’s All about Purpose! Let’s look at the text for different purposes. Here is where the standards come into play.

Close Reading- “Standard Practice” Standards 1, 2, 3 • What conclusions can you draw about _________? Cite evidence in the text to support your conclusions. (Standard 1) • The main idea of this text is _______________________ The details that support this main idea are ___________________________. (Standard 2) • How does the theme/central idea develop? (Standard 2) • How does the character, setting, events relate to the theme or central idea?(standard 2) • What can we learn about the characters from the way they responded to the problem in the text? (Standard 3) • Compare/contrast the reaction of the characters to the story events? (standard 3) • How does the setting of the story change as it evolves? (Standard 3) • How might this character respond if _____________ happened? Cite evidence from the text to support your opinion.(Standard 3) • How/why do individuals, events, ideas develop and interact? (Standard 3)

Standards 4-6 • What does the word ____________ mean? Connotative meaning? Figurative meaning? (Standard 4) • Where are pivotal points in the text? (Standard 5) • What is the text structure of this text? What is your proof? (Standard 5) • What is the authors opinion on the topic? Cite evidence from the text that supports this opinion. (Standard 6) • What structures, language, tone, and context does the author use to present his/her opinion? (Standard 6) • What do you know about the speaker/narrator of this text? Cite textual evidence to support your opinions. Standard 6

Standards 7-9 • What do you learn about the character, setting, events, author’s narrator’s point of view from the visual images? (Standard 7) • What is the tone of the text? How do the visuals support the tone? (Standard 7) • What are the specific claims of the text? What reasons does the author give to support the claim? What is the relevance of the evidence? (Standard 8) • Compare/Contrast the theme of ____________ and ______________. (Standard 9) • How do the events in __________________ parallel the events in ________________? (Standard 9) • How is figurative language used similarly in the two poems about ______________ ? (Standard 9)

CCSS Ask Us to Look at Language • Re-read the passage • Underline/highlight wordsthat connect to the big idea(s). • Discuss your thinking with your partner. • Discuss connections… • between language and big ideas • between language and mood/tone.

Identifying Main Idea • Reread the text with the purpose of identifying the Main Idea. • Cite evidence from the text to support your thinking. Discusswith your partner.

Vocabulary Instruction • Say our themefor the unit is Fear. • Think/Pair/Share and… • Find two words in the passage that relate to fear. • Provide evidence from the text of how each relates to fear.

Vocabulary Instruction

Vocabulary Instruction • Vocabulary • Must be specific • Must help readers connect to words • DO NOT just list/define words • Build vocabulary by linking to text • Build vocabulary by providing concrete examples from text

Sources • Laura Robb, KRA 2012 • Kentucky Core Academic Standards • Another Missing Person, Weekly Reader, Lexile 690- recommended usage. 5th grade

Comprehending complex text through Close Reading