For my first time attending NCTE, or any national reading conference for that matter, I certainly got lucky on my first day. After being enlightened and entertained by Ruth Culham, as detailed in my third and fourth NCTE reviews on mentor texts and literary borrowing, I was fortunate enough to follow up with a lecture by Nancy Frey (http://fisherandfrey.com/), a renowned expert on close reading.
To be even more honest, I felt that I had a strong handle on close reading before heading into this conference. My school has been a partner with Roosevelt University, which turned me onto the book Notice and Note, an excellent source for how to teach close reading of fictional work, specifically through six signposts. Additionally, I had developed my own close reading annotation key and practiced close reading for nearly two years, so I felt that I was hardly a newbie.
Well, I couldn’t have been any more wrong as Frey opened my eyes (in very good ways) to making the close reading process simpler yet still challenging for my students and more intentional on my end.
With that said, here are 10 must-have close reading takeaways from Frey’s great lecture at NCTE.
To be even more honest, I felt that I had a strong handle on close reading before heading into this conference. My school has been a partner with Roosevelt University, which turned me onto the book Notice and Note, an excellent source for how to teach close reading of fictional work, specifically through six signposts. Additionally, I had developed my own close reading annotation key and practiced close reading for nearly two years, so I felt that I was hardly a newbie.
Well, I couldn’t have been any more wrong as Frey opened my eyes (in very good ways) to making the close reading process simpler yet still challenging for my students and more intentional on my end.
With that said, here are 10 must-have close reading takeaways from Frey’s great lecture at NCTE.
1) Frey confirmed some information that I have heard in professional development in the past:
Close reading should be done 2-3 times a week.
This doesn’t mean that close reading is exclusive to reading class; it should be done in other content areas, including math, science and social studies. Think about the opportunities if each content-area teacher did a close read at least once per week. Remember that literacy is a collaborative effort reinforced across all content-areas.
2) Frey reminded us that we teach through story. Additionally, she emphasized how we must TEACH COMPLEX TEXT RATHER THAN JUST ASSIGN IT.
This point is really crucial as close reading does lend itself to students struggling with the text. With that said, students should not be left on an island. The teacher must break down the text with the students.
3) Use a short passage when doing close reading.
Frey’s rule: If it has a staple in it, it might be too long.
4) Have students read with a pencil.
I have to admit that this rule made me feel guilty. Having been educated from kindergarten to high school in Catholic schools, I was told to write in pen for reading and writing class and to only use a pencil in math (and sometimes science when doing lab work). Unfortunately, this outdated rule was imprinted on my brain and came into my teaching the first two years. I have slowly started to transition away from this, though I still feel students should write in pen.
So why should students use a pencil when close reading. Point five sheds some light (no pun intended).
5) Close reading is not highlighting but annotating!
What’s the difference?
Quoting Frey, “Annotating is a note of any form while reading the text.”
We’ve all seen this as teachers, and I was certainly guilty of this as a student. When using a highlighter, students tend to highlight everything, which loses meaning making, even if it looks all nice and colorful.
As Frey said, “annotation slows down the reader in order to deepen understanding.”
Annotation can be anything from students making connections with something they’ve read to writing a follow-up question to summarizing the author’s main point.
6) Simplify annotation keys by having students follow this easy-to-remember model:
● Underline major points.
● Circle ○ keywords or phrases that are confusing.
● Annotate (including writing margin notes that restate the author’s idea).
Frey shared a funny anecdote detailing how she was observing classrooms where students were drawing out elaborate light bulbs when suddenly realizing something during a close read. While this looked good, it took away from the point of close reading, as do the elaborate annotation keys with a laundry list of close-reading codes (something I was innocently guilty of myself).
7) Have students re-read and give them time to struggle a bit.
Remember silence is thinking. Rereading doesn’t always mean reading from beginning to end. For example, Frey notes how you can do a second close read by having students listen to a speech of the text such as Chief Joseph from 1877 (“My heart is sad and sick”).
8) Foster critical thinking with text-dependent questions that foster discussion.
I will have to dig up and post a great handout that I have with some awesome text-dependent questions. Something that has helped in the pass is the Depths of Knowledge (DOK) Level 1-4 questions. Also, point nine provides some text-dependent questions from Frey.
9) Break up close reading into different phases.
● Phase 1 should focus on the literal meaning of the text (e.g., What does the text say?; What is going on in the poem? ). Do not skip phase 1, even if it is difficult for students. Tell them that you know it is difficult.
● Phase 2 should focus on the vocabulary and structure of the text (How does the text work? How does it explain the character’s mood? What about the use of the word _____?).
● Phase 3 should go much further, exploring the deeper meaning (What does the text mean?; How does the second text help you connect with the inner conflict of the first text?). Frey adds that as texts get complex, ideas are spread out beyond sentences. This reaffirms her point about how teachers should teach complex text, not just assign it.
● Phase 4 should be related back to students with this question: “What does the text inspire me to do?” This question serves as a great bridge to incorporate student writing into close reading and even write from sources.
10) Last but not least, remember these rules when choosing a text.
□ Less complex text should be used to boost reading stamina.
□ More complex text should be used to build strength.
Phew! Got all of that? I know it’s a lot, but it’s game-changing stuff when teaching close reading. Actually, rewriting these notes has helped me better understand close reading and realize that it is a fluid, ever-changing process.
In my next post, I am going to share how close reading can extend beyond texts into pictures. Until then.
Close reading should be done 2-3 times a week.
This doesn’t mean that close reading is exclusive to reading class; it should be done in other content areas, including math, science and social studies. Think about the opportunities if each content-area teacher did a close read at least once per week. Remember that literacy is a collaborative effort reinforced across all content-areas.
2) Frey reminded us that we teach through story. Additionally, she emphasized how we must TEACH COMPLEX TEXT RATHER THAN JUST ASSIGN IT.
This point is really crucial as close reading does lend itself to students struggling with the text. With that said, students should not be left on an island. The teacher must break down the text with the students.
3) Use a short passage when doing close reading.
Frey’s rule: If it has a staple in it, it might be too long.
4) Have students read with a pencil.
I have to admit that this rule made me feel guilty. Having been educated from kindergarten to high school in Catholic schools, I was told to write in pen for reading and writing class and to only use a pencil in math (and sometimes science when doing lab work). Unfortunately, this outdated rule was imprinted on my brain and came into my teaching the first two years. I have slowly started to transition away from this, though I still feel students should write in pen.
So why should students use a pencil when close reading. Point five sheds some light (no pun intended).
5) Close reading is not highlighting but annotating!
What’s the difference?
Quoting Frey, “Annotating is a note of any form while reading the text.”
We’ve all seen this as teachers, and I was certainly guilty of this as a student. When using a highlighter, students tend to highlight everything, which loses meaning making, even if it looks all nice and colorful.
As Frey said, “annotation slows down the reader in order to deepen understanding.”
Annotation can be anything from students making connections with something they’ve read to writing a follow-up question to summarizing the author’s main point.
6) Simplify annotation keys by having students follow this easy-to-remember model:
● Underline major points.
● Circle ○ keywords or phrases that are confusing.
● Annotate (including writing margin notes that restate the author’s idea).
Frey shared a funny anecdote detailing how she was observing classrooms where students were drawing out elaborate light bulbs when suddenly realizing something during a close read. While this looked good, it took away from the point of close reading, as do the elaborate annotation keys with a laundry list of close-reading codes (something I was innocently guilty of myself).
7) Have students re-read and give them time to struggle a bit.
Remember silence is thinking. Rereading doesn’t always mean reading from beginning to end. For example, Frey notes how you can do a second close read by having students listen to a speech of the text such as Chief Joseph from 1877 (“My heart is sad and sick”).
8) Foster critical thinking with text-dependent questions that foster discussion.
I will have to dig up and post a great handout that I have with some awesome text-dependent questions. Something that has helped in the pass is the Depths of Knowledge (DOK) Level 1-4 questions. Also, point nine provides some text-dependent questions from Frey.
9) Break up close reading into different phases.
● Phase 1 should focus on the literal meaning of the text (e.g., What does the text say?; What is going on in the poem? ). Do not skip phase 1, even if it is difficult for students. Tell them that you know it is difficult.
● Phase 2 should focus on the vocabulary and structure of the text (How does the text work? How does it explain the character’s mood? What about the use of the word _____?).
● Phase 3 should go much further, exploring the deeper meaning (What does the text mean?; How does the second text help you connect with the inner conflict of the first text?). Frey adds that as texts get complex, ideas are spread out beyond sentences. This reaffirms her point about how teachers should teach complex text, not just assign it.
● Phase 4 should be related back to students with this question: “What does the text inspire me to do?” This question serves as a great bridge to incorporate student writing into close reading and even write from sources.
10) Last but not least, remember these rules when choosing a text.
□ Less complex text should be used to boost reading stamina.
□ More complex text should be used to build strength.
Phew! Got all of that? I know it’s a lot, but it’s game-changing stuff when teaching close reading. Actually, rewriting these notes has helped me better understand close reading and realize that it is a fluid, ever-changing process.
In my next post, I am going to share how close reading can extend beyond texts into pictures. Until then.
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