With the push for common core and the strive to have students dig deeper within a text.  Close reading requires the students to develop their own thinking while reading while learning to engage with the text in the process.  Specifically, the common core standards state that students must read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. Over the past few months, I have been using close reading in my classroom almost daily and I've seen students improve significantly in the way they read.  So you might be asking....what is close reading? Close reading involves the reading short passages - not whole texts.  In primary grades, short picture books may be used. The text should be complex. Students should read the passage multiple times for different purposes. Questions should be text dependent and focus on vocabulary, details, text structure, inferencing, author's purpose, main idea, and forming opinions. Students must interact with the text by coding it with various symbols that have meaning.   Now, there are various sources that give a specific sequence and structure that one should follow when doing close readings with your students, but I have adapted it just a bit to fit the needs in my classroom.  I have students in literature centers each day and am able to meet with every group for about 15 minutes.  During this time, five days a week, I work on close reading, and really, 15 minutes a day is all that my students really need to be successful. DAY 1 On the first day, the students set a purpose for reading. I read the text aloud.  While I'm reading, students must interact with the text by marking it using the symbols I provided them. Students briefly summarize the passage with a partner. We complete one reading strategy page that relates with the text.   DAY 2 We preview the vocabulary activity page for the day. The students reread the text with a partner. While reading, students continue interacting with the text.  Perhaps they found a new vocabulary word they'd like to circle. We complete the vocabulary page.  Students choose their own words to use.   DAY 3 We preview the comprehension questions for the passage. Students read the passage on their own silently.  I encourage them to put a star (important information symbol) for answers they find while they are reading. After reading on their own, students can easily go back in the text to find their stars and answer questions. We discuss our answers as a group.   DAY 4 The students take a look at the activity page for the reading strategy they will focus on today. We read as a group.  Students rotate reading paragraphs. Depending on the nature of the page, students will fill it out on their own, with a partner, or we will discuss as a group. DAY 5 The students take a look at the activity page for the reading strategy they will focus on today. The students will whisper read the passage for the purpose we set. Depending on the nature of the page, students will fill it out on their own, with a partner, or we will discuss as a group. At the conclusion of the group meeting, students discuss how they liked the passage, questions they still have, connections they made, etc.   Now, if you have 15 minutes a day to work with small groups, you can definitely use the model I suggested above.  If not, this works well as a whole-group activity as well. The first week I did close readings, I actually did it in place of morning work so I could model the process to the whole class.  This worked well, but I really like the nature of small groups so each child is able to contribute to the conversations we have. Would you like to try close reading in your classroom?  I have this FREEBIE that you can download to test it with your students.  The free passage and five activities is part of a larger unit I have for sale in my TpT store. HERE.  I am currently selling monthly bundles of 4 texts that range from a 2nd-4th grade reading level.  Each text is paired with 5 pages for students to use to dig deeper.  You can find the monthly units HERE.  I am currently working on creating them for each month students are in school.  I hope to be finished soon!Take a look at my video preview to see everything included in a unit and to get ideas of how you can use it in your classroom!  

Close reading isn’t a skill that comes naturally to students. When our students get a new reading assignment, often their first instinct is to race to the finish line rather than engage deeply with a text. Getting students to slow down, engage with the text in different ways, and reflect as they read are challenges for every teacher, and are the goals of close reading. There’s no magic way to turn your class into top-notch readers overnight, but there are specific close reading skills you can teach that will help your students now and in the future. I created an assignment that requires students to reread and engage with their book each day.  Each day students need to reread the book or a part of the text, and complete a different assignment.  Each assignment is worth 25 points, and since there are 4 assignments, it is worth up to 100 in the grade book.  Friday all 4 assignments are due, so I give students about 20 minutes to edit (or finish for those who need a little extra time) their assignments before handing it in.   Close Reading Assignments At the beginning of the year, I have students solely use this assignment with the story of the week.  (I have one assignment sheet for fiction and another for nonfiction.)  This way I can monitor and allow students to work together.  One of my favorite ways to model is to complete the assignment as students are working on theirs.  Then we come together and compare and discuss how to make everyone’s response better (mine too!).  I do this for about one or two months depending on the group of students I have.  Teaching and modeling close reading is SUPER IMPORTANT, and it’s not something to rush. Once your students have a good handle on what you expect for each assignment, you can start sending them home to be completed as close reading homework.  As homework, each assignment is worth 20 points because the additional 20 points comes from their parent or guardian’s signature.  Sometimes the assignments come from the weekly reading story, other times the assignments are based on their leveled reader, and other times, I allow students to choose fiction or nonfiction texts from the library and complete a close reading assignment from their preferred text.  No matter what, students are practicing and are actively engaged in their books. Parent’s tell me in conferences year after year how much they love this homework assignment because it is meaningful.  They are talking to their child about what they are reading, and their children are not only becoming better readers, but they are also getting positive attention from their parents.  If you love it, please leave feedback.  I truly do love reading how my resources help others.  "Teamwork makes the Dream Work," & we are all in it together! If you have any other ideas for close reading strategies, please leave a comment below.  Stay tuned for another post about close reading in math! Enjoy those books! -Sandra @The Happy Learning Den

Met Close Reading de wereld vergroten! Hoe die je dat in de praktijk? En wat heb ik allemaal geleerd tijdens de conferentie Close Reading? Lees het hier!

Browse close reading resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.

Turn any book into a close reading activity with these question ideas

Een les Close Reading nav De oma van de oma van mijn oma. Gratis download.

Read to find out what close reading is and how to implement it in your classroom.

These EIGHT January close reading passages are the perfect resource for the busy teacher! No-Prep, high-interest passages with follow-up activities ready to PRINT AND GO that will be sure to help you rock your next close reading lesson. Looking for passages for close reading of a text and want all the prep work done for you? Well, say no more!  What's Inside the January Close Reading Text These January close reading passages and questions are NO PREP, READY TO USE and come with everything you need to help your students conquer their close reading activities. • Blackline or color printing options. • Close reading lesson plans for EACH of the close reading texts. These are no-prep lessons. Just print and go! • Examples of close reading techniques and instructions on how to teach a close reading lesson. • Product walkthrough to make sure you get the most out of your product. • Partner work for vocabulary. • Close reading questions for comprehension. • Writing activities to extend the content from the close reading texts. • Partner organization and classroom management for an engaging close reading lesson. • Anchor chart for close reading annotation. Non-fiction Close Reading Passages • Penguins  • Martin Luther King Jr. • What do Animals Do In Winter? • Snow Fiction Close Reading Passages • Bear Sleeps  • Snow Day  • The Snowman • New Year's Resolutions Each close reading passage comes with a READY TO PRINT + GO lesson plan for the whole week, vocab lessons and resources, and anchor charts. NOT ONLY THAT but you have digital access to the activities on Google Slides, Seesaw, Boom Cards!

I’m back for my next installment on close reading! I am so excited to FINALLY share what I have been working so hard on. A few weeks back, I asked my Facebook followers to rate their understanding and knowledge of close reading. I was shocked to learn that so many teachers didn’t really know much...

Close reading workshop - Download as a PDF or view online for free

Check out these helpful tips for ensuring close reading success with your students. Free steps for close reading mini-book included.

Upper elementary blog with practical, rigorous, classroom tested ideas to implement with your students.

Are you looking for a fun way for your students to increase comprehension and inference skills?     This fiction passage is great for 3rd-4th grade readers, or for those in 5th who need some extra practice.     Students will interact with the text to find evidence and context clues to support their answers! ... Read More about Close Reading Freebie

Wat is Close Reading? Wat zijn de kenmerken, de meerwaarde, maar ook de valkuilen van deze aanpak? Hoe doe je dit bij leerlingen met een TOS?

These EIGHT October close reading passages are the perfect resource for the busy teacher! No-Prep, high-interest passages with follow-up activities ready to PRINT AND GO that will be sure to help you rock your next close reading lesson. What's Inside the October Close Reading Text These October close reading passages and questions are NO PREP, READY TO USE and come with everything you need to help your students conquer their close reading activities. • Blackline or color printing options. • Close reading lesson plans for EACH of the close reading texts. These are no-prep lessons. Just print and go! • Examples of close reading techniques and instructions on how to teach a close reading lesson. • Product walkthrough to make sure you get the most out of your product. • Partner work for vocabulary. • Close reading questions for comprehension. • Writing activities to extend the content from the close reading texts. • Partner organization and classroom management for an engaging close reading lesson. • Anchor chart for close reading annotation. Non-fiction Close Reading Passages • Scarecrow  • Harvest TIme  • How A Pumpkin Grows  • Fall Leaves Fiction Close Reading Passages • Trick-or-Treat • The Scarecrow • Hayride • My Jack-O-Lantern Each close reading passage comes with a READY TO PRINT + GO lesson plan for the whole week, vocab lessons and resources, and anchor charts. NOT ONLY THAT but you have digital access to the activities on Google Slides, Seesaw, Boom Cards!

These EIGHT April close reading passages are the perfect resource for the busy teacher! No-Prep, high-interest passages with follow-up activities ready to PRINT AND GO that will be sure to help you rock your next close reading lesson. Looking for passages for close reading of a text and want all the prep work done for you? Well, say no more!  What's Inside the April Close Reading Text These April close reading passages and questions are NO PREP, READY TO USE and come with everything you need to help your students conquer their close reading activities. • Blackline or color printing options. • Close reading lesson plans for EACH of the close reading texts. These are no-prep lessons. Just print and go! • Examples of close reading techniques and instructions on how to teach a close reading lesson. • Product walkthrough to make sure you get the most out of your product. • Partner work for vocabulary. • Close reading questions for comprehension. • Writing activities to extend the content from the close reading texts. • Partner organization and classroom management for an engaging close reading lesson. • Anchor chart for close reading annotation. Non-fiction Close Reading Passages • Frog Life Cycle  • Earth Day  • Recycling Bin  • Spring Plants Fiction Close Reading Passages • Decorating Eggs  • Puddle Jumping  • Yard Work  • The Three R's Each close reading passage comes with a READY TO PRINT + GO lesson plan for the whole week, vocab lessons and resources, and anchor charts. NOT ONLY THAT but you have digital access to the activities on Google Slides, Seesaw, Boom Cards!

Close reading is one of those big buzz words in literacy education. But what is close reading, anyway? This post will tell you exactly what it is, plus how to teach it! Have you heard the term

Take close reading to the next level in your classroom. Use the six Close Reading steps guide from Appletastic Learning for a deeper understanding of text.

[DOOR LINDA] Close Reading, wat is dat nou precies? Als dat is wat jij je afvraagt lees dan snel verder...

Close reading, broken down with a FREE planning page that works for any text