Close Reading
Applying a 3-Step Reading Comprehension Strategy (Virtual Tour)
Stage of Literacy Development:
Stage 3: Literacy for GrowthAges:
7-12
Grade Range:
3rd 4th 5th 6thFood Groups:
Primary: Reading Comprehension Strategies Secondary: Vocabulary
Transcript
Close Reading is a strategy that I have been teaching my students to ensure that they really understand what they have read. It is the idea that we read three times before trying to answer any questions based on the text. When they are reading the first time, they should just be getting the gist of the reading. The second time then they're starting to circle words that maybe they are not sure of and trying to make inferences about what they mean. The third time, that's when they're getting the deeper meaning of the text: understanding what the text is asking or saying and the message that the author is trying to give. Then, they are really able to start answering questions because they have a deeper understanding of the text.
Related References
Additional Links:
Reading Rockets, Examples of Close Reading Questions: http://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-on-literacy/examples-close-reading-questions
Activity Objective
The goal of Close Reading: Applying a 3-Step Reading Comprehension Strategy (Virtual Tour) is to teach children a multi-stage reading comprehension approach that requires students to read the text multiple times and make inferences in order to build their understanding. The first step requires students to read the text to obtain the basic idea. The second step encourages students to read the text to identify unknown vocabulary and attempt to make inferences about their intended meaning. In the third step, the student reads the text with a focus on the deeper meaning and the author's overall intention.
Quick Tips
Additional Comments:
- Reviewing how to infer when approaching new vocabulary will be required to successfully complete this activity. - An extension to this strategy would be to co-construct a vocabulary wall or dictionary of the new words that they discover while reading new texts.
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