Close Reading: How It Transformed My Classroom

                                    Bringing Books to Life: Close Reading in Our Classroom

Hello, fellow teachers!

I wanted to share something that has truly transformed my reading workshop and my students’ growth as readers: close reading. By teaching students how to dive deep into a text, they’ve learned to evaluate, critique, and think critically about what they read. Here’s how we do it in my classroom, and how you can see the same amazing growth in your students.

What is Close Reading?

Close reading is all about paying attention to the details in a text. Instead of just reading to find out what happens, students read to understand how and why things happen, and what the author’s choices tell us about the text.

Why Close Reading Matters

1. Better Understanding: Students don’t just understand the story; they understand the layers of meaning behind it.
2. Critical Thinking: They learn to ask questions and think about the author’s purpose.
3. Engagement: Students become more interested in what they’re reading because they’re finding out so much more.

How We Do Close Reading in Our Classroom

Step 1: Choosing the Right Text Pick a text that has a lot to analyze. Nonfiction works great for this because it often has clear points of view or biases.

Step 2: Introducing Close Reading Explain to students that close reading is like being a detective. They will read the text more than once, each time looking for different clues.

Step 3: First Read - Getting the Big Picture

• Purpose: Understand the main idea.
• Activity: Students read the text to get the gist of it.
• Discussion: Talk about the main points. What is the text mostly about?

Step 4: Second Read - Digging Deeper

• Purpose: Look at details and how the author uses language.
• Activity: Students read again, highlighting or noting interesting words and phrases.
• Discussion: Discuss what stands out. Why did the author choose these words? What mood or tone do they create?

Step 5: Third Read - Evaluating and Critiquing

• Purpose: Think about the author’s purpose and bias.
• Activity: Students read the text one more time, thinking about why the author wrote it and if they have a bias.
• Discussion: Talk about the author’s viewpoint. Do they have an opinion? How can you tell?

Step 6: Putting It All Together

• Purpose: Combine everything they’ve learned to form a complete understanding.
• Activity: Students write or present their thoughts. What do they think about the text now? How do they feel about the author’s choices and bias?
• Discussion: Share and discuss as a class. It’s amazing to hear all the different insights!

Helpful Tips for Close Reading

1. Annotations: Teach students to mark up the text with their thoughts and questions.
2. Graphic Organizers: Use charts and diagrams to help students organize their ideas.
3. Discussion Prompts: Ask open-ended questions to get students thinking and talking.
4. Modeling: Show students how to do close reading by doing it together at first.

A Resource to Support Close Reading

One resource I’ve found incredibly helpful is a comprehensive toolkit filled with lesson plans, anchor charts, teaching points, and reading response sheets. This resource is designed to support analyzing, critiquing, and judging elements of a text. It has made implementing close reading strategies much easier and more effective. The ready-to-use materials save time and provide clear guidance for both teachers and students. My students especially love the reading response sheets, which help them organize their thoughts and provide evidence from the text to support their analyses.

Conclusion

Since I started using close reading, I’ve seen my students grow into thoughtful, analytical readers. They’re not just reading; they’re engaging with the text in a whole new way. I encourage you to try close reading in your classroom and see the difference it can make. You can use the linked resources to give you a head start on planning a lesson and activities.

Let’s keep the conversation going! Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.

Happy reading!