Close Reading
Diane Rymer
“Achieving Beyond Expectations”
Agenda
 Opening Discussion
 The Common Core and Close Reading
 The Close Reading Process
 Demonstration
© 2012 Catapult Learning, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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OPENING
DISCUSSION
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Questions
 How were you taught to analyze, discuss, and take notes on
texts when you were in school?
 Did your approach to reading and annotating texts change as
you progressed through school? If so, how and why?
 Did your approach change from subject to subject? If so, how
and why?
 Is there a difference between “reading to know” and “reading
to understand”?
THE COMMON CORE
AND
CLOSE READING
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What the Standards Are Asking For

Grade 2 Literary Describe the overall structure of a story,
including describing how the beginning introduces the story and
the ending concludes the action.

Grade 3 Informational Describe the relationship between a series
of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in
technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to
time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Grades 6-8 Science Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment
based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

Grades 9-10 History Analyze in detail a series of events described
in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or
simply preceded them.
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Text-based Answers

Students are expected to engage in rich, evidencebased dialogue about a text they have read

Teachers must now train students to stay in the text,
to draw conclusions and make arguments about the
text and do so through the text itself
Chat Question: How can you ensure students are
providing text-based answers?
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Ramping up the Rigor
We must systematically expose students to increasingly complex texts.
Figure 3: Text Complexity Grade Bands and Associated Lexile Ranges (in Lexiles)
Text Complexity Grade
Band in the Standards
Old Lexile Ranges
Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR
Expectations
K-1
N/A
N/A
2-3
450-725
450-790
4-5
645-845
770-980
6-8
860-1010
955-1155
9-10
960-1115
1080-1305
11-CCR
1070-1220
1215-1355
The Common Core State Standards require students to meet more
rigorous expectations regarding text complexity.
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It All Points to a Need for “Close Reading”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w9v6-zUg3Y
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THE CLOSE READING
PROCESS
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The Close Reading Process
 Step One: Set a Purpose for Reading
• Present an overarching, text-based question that only a close reading
will answer
• Present the step-by-step structure
• Present a short passage for study
 Step Two: First Reading (or read-aloud)
• Read or listen in order to answer questions such as:
– Is this fiction or non-fiction?
– Who is the story about? / What topic is the article or essay about?
– What is the main thing the main character does? / What is the most
important thing said about the main topic?
– What was the author’s purpose in writing?
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The Close Reading Process
 Step Three: Second Reading (or read-aloud)
• Students create 3-column notes to examine issues such as:
– How does the author use structure to advance the main ideas?
– What important, interesting, or confusing words, phrases, or imagery
does the author use to advance the main ideas?
– What recurring patterns do you see?
– What internal similarities or contradictions do you see?
– What other details do you see that support the main ideas? (How is the
author telling this story or advancing this argument or discussion?)
– What questions would you have for the author along the way? (“Why are
you doing that?” “Why did you say it that way?”)
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Three-Column Note-Taking
Students copy words,
phrases, images,
sentences of interest or
question
Quotes
“We wear the mask” (title)
Students jot down
notes about the quote,
its meaning, and its
importance
Students pose
questions about the
text to themselves, the
author, or the teacher
Notes
Questions
Title gives you the whole main idea of
the poem
It’s a poem, so he doesn’t mean it
literally
Is “we” everyone or just African
Americans? Or African American
males?
Why is it “the” mask? Does everyone
wear the same one? Is there only
one?
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Three-Column Note-Taking for Non-Readers
Create a graphic
organizer with words
and/or other images
pre-selected
Students can make
pictures, write single
words, or dictate ideas
to the teacher or aide
Quotes
Notes
HIDING
PRETENDING
Have students listen in
pairs and ask questions
of each other at pause
points.
Questions
James asks why the author
keeps doing it if he
knows it’s wrong or
unhealthy
AFRAID
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Step Three: Second Reading (or read-aloud)
 Chat Question: Why is the second reading so important in a
close reading activity?
 Chat Question: What are some other modifications to threecolumn note-taking you would try?
 Chat Question: What other note-taking or graphic organizers
would you use to support close reading?
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The Close Reading Process
 Step Four: Discussion
• Teacher poses text-dependent questions that require close analysis of
the text, its structure, and the author’s craftsmanship
• Teacher guides students to refer explicitly to their notes in answering
questions
• Teacher uses questioning to build deep understanding of the text and
help students engage with the larger purpose for reading
• Teacher may scaffold by having students answer overarching questions
as a class before attempting any writing
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The Close Reading Process
 Step Five: Writing
• Teacher has students respond to the overarching question(s) in a
paragraph (or a paired discussion for lower grades)
• Teacher guides students to make specific references to the text in
answering questions or advancing arguments, using the notes they
took while reading
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DEMONSTRATION
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The Close Reading Process
• Unit 3, Grade 8, “Looking Back on America”
• I Hear America Singing, by Walt Whitman, was written in 1846 as part
of his twelve-poem volume, Leaves of Grass, also known as Song of
Myself. His work was ground-breaking in his use of free verse and long
rhythmic lines, introducing a certain musicality to his poetry. Also
known as the “Bard of Democracy,” he considered himself a
spokesperson for the average American.
 Step One: Set a Purpose for Reading- How does the author
represent the average American in 1846 within this poem?
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The Close Reading Process
 Step Two: First Reading (or read-aloud)
• Listen as I read and think about the following questions:
– Is this fiction or non-fiction?
– Who is the story about? / What topic is the article or essay about?
– What is the main thing the main character does? / What is the most
important thing said about the main topic?
– What was the author’s purpose in writing?
 Step Three: Second Reading (or read-aloud)
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The Close Reading Process- Step 3 and 4
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the
steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or at noon
intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing
or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
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The Close Reading Process
Chat Question: What additional questions would you ask?
Chat Question: What kinds of quotes, notes and questions would
you expect on students note-taking organizers?
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The Close Reading Process
 Step Five: Writing
• Teacher has students respond to the overarching question(s) in a
paragraph (or a paired discussion for lower grades)
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REFLECTIONS
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THANK YOU!
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