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Close Reading Explained

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Close Reading Explained Instructional Leader Close Reading The Common Core State Standards have brought new attention to a long-respected and valuable reading strategy called close reading. Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher here are a host of different ways between the reader and the text. Read- to engage students in reading, ers should develop an understanding of T including instructional routines the author’s words and bring their own that require extensive teacher support, experiences, beliefs, and ideas to bear such as shared readings, and instruc- on the text. In her words, “The reader tional routines that require extensive must remain faithful to the author’s peer support, such as reciprocal teach- text and must be alert to the potential ing or literature circles. The Common clues concerning character and motive” Core State Standards have drawn (p. 11). Rosenblatt cautioned that read- increased attention to an instructional ers might ignore elements in a text and routine called close reading, known in fail to realize that they are “imputing some circles as analytic reading. to the author views unjustified by the Close reading is not a new instruc- text” (p. 11). Douglas Fisher ([email protected]) tional routine; it has existed for many is a professor of teacher education at decades as the practice of reading a Teaching Close Reading San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High and text for a level of detail not used in ev- If students already knew how to do Middle College in San Diego, CA. eryday reading (Richards, 1929). Close this, then we would not be spend- Nancy Frey ([email protected]) is a readings should be done with texts ing time focused on close reading. professor of teacher education at San that are worthy and complex enough The problem is that students do not Diego State University and a teacher to warrant repeated reading and arrive at school already knowing how leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. detailed investigation. (See January to interrogate a text and dig down They are the authors, with Diane Lapp, 2012 column for a discussion about to its deeper meaning. Teachers have of Teaching Students to Read Like text complexity.) As Newkirk (2010) to teach students how to do this in Detectives (2012, Solution Tree). noted, not all texts demand this level both informational and literary texts. of attention, but some texts do. In other words, close readings are In close reading, the reader has to not the pervue of English teachers; develop a fairly sophisticated under- close readings should be conducted Watch the Video standing of what the author actually in any class in which texts play a role, Watch the video for close reading strategies. said. The problem, as described by ad- whether it is science, social studies, www.nassp.org/PL0113frey vocates of close reading, is that students auto mechanics, art, or physical edu- are encouraged to answer questions cation. The video that accompanies that too soon take them away from this column features a social studies the reading to their own experiences. teacher using a close reading ap- Instead, as Rosenblatt (1995) recom- proach to investigate a primary source mended, there must be a transaction document. Close readings have a few January 2013 | Principal Leadership 57 Instructional Leader factors in common, including the fol- ing types of marks in a text (we will A Close Reading Example lowing items. focus on teaching annotation in next Middle school English teacher Ar- Short, worthy passages. Because month’s column): mando Perez asks his students to read close readings can be time-consuming, n Underline the major points. “Eleven,” a short story by Sandra Cis- it is often best to select shorter pieces n Circle keywords or phrases that neros. He points out that they are still of text for instruction. Those selec- are confusing or unknown to you. exploring the inner lives of characters tions, typically between three and nine n Use a question mark for questions and how those inner lives compare paragraphs, allow students to practice that you have during the reading. with the lives that others can see. The the analytic skills required of sophisti- Be sure to write your question. students read the text independently, cated readers. Longer, extended texts n Use an exclamation mark for making notes as they do so. One are often used to encourage students things that surprise you, and brief- student, Fernando, underlines several to practice the skills that they have ly note what it was that caught places in the text and circles two been taught during close readings. your attention. places. Following their independent The practice of rereading. As part n Draw an arrow when you make reading, Perez reads the text aloud of a close reading, students must read a connection to something inside to students, pausing to think aloud and reread the selected text several the text or to an idea or experi- in three places that seemed to have times. This requires students to ex- ence outside the text. Briefly note caused confusion for his students. He pand their purposes for each repeated your connections. knew that because he had observed reading. Subsequent readings can be n Write EX when the author pro- them as they annotated the text and completed independently, with peers, vides an example. could thus target his modeling on with teacher read-alouds, or any com- n Numerate arguments, important areas of confusion. bination of those approaches. ideas, or key details, and write At one point, he pauses and says, Annotation. Readers who take the words or phrases that restate them. “They have a lot of years and num- time to really read and investigate a Text-dependent questions. As bers in this text, but this says that the text take notes right on the text. They part of every close reading, students sweater is maybe 1,000 years old. I’m “read with a pencil” so that they can respond to text-dependent questions having a hard time believing that. I’m make notes about their understand- that require them to provide evi- thinking that if it really were 1,000 ings or quickly find evidence when dence from the text, rather than their years old, it would be in a museum. they need it. Adler and Van Doren own experiences. As we described in I’m thinking that this is an example of (1940/1972) identified why annota- the September 2012 column, there hyperbole that is being used to make tion is so important: are ways to create text-dependent a point.” Following his modeling, questions, and they do not have to be Perez asks his students to explore a Why is marking a book indis- recall and regurgitation questions. couple of questions, including, “How pensable to reading it? First, it After-reading tasks that require is age like an onion, at least accord- keeps you awake—not merely students to use information from the ing to the author?” and “Why does conscious, but wide awake. text. Rather than take students away she start crying when she has to wear Second, reading, if active, is from the text, postreading activities the sweater?” As the students talk thinking, and thinking tends to as part of close reading should require with one another about those ques- express itself in words, spoken that the student return to the text. tions, they refer back to the text to or written. The person who For example, students may write an locate specific information for their says he knows what he thinks argumentative piece in which they use responses. but cannot express it usually evidence from the text and other texts; Next, Perez asks students to talk does not know what he thinks. engage in a Socratic seminar; or debate with their team members about the Third, writing your reactions a topic. After-reading tasks should help character Rachel’s inner life saying, down helps you remember the students consolidate the meaning of “From what the author tells us, what thoughts of the author (p. 49). texts and deepen their comprehension is going on inside Rachel when her far beyond what they would be able to teacher says that the sweater has to Annotations include the follow- accomplish on their own. belong to someone?” The students are 58 Principal Leadership | January 2013 to focus on the words that Rachel uses Phyllis. Just remember to describe the and independent readings, close read- to describe herself, such as skinny, and character’s inner life using evidence ings will give students the experiences how the author refers to her “little provided from the text.” As the stu- they need to become skilled in analytic voice.” A student in the class says, “I dents get to work, Perez meets with reading, a prerequisite for college and don’t think Rachel has confidence be- several who have struggled with tasks career success. PL cause she stumbles on her answer to like this in the past to make sure that the teacher, and then it says that she’s they are starting on the right track. REFERENCES feeling like she is three again.” n Adler, M. J., & Van Doren, C. Perez continues inviting argu- Conclusion (1940/1972). How to read a book. New ments, with evidence, as students Close readings are an important com- York, NY: Touchstone. reread the text looking for examples. ponent of reading instruction, but they n Newkirk, T. (2010). The case for slow They discuss the text within their are not the only instructional routine reading. Educational Leadership, 67(6), groups and periodically are invited that students need to use to become 6–11.
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