Learning to Read with Highlighters and Pens

Close reading is thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text’s form, craft, meanings, etc. It is a key requirement of the College and Career Ready Standards and directs the reader’s attention to the text itself. Once you leave high school, no one will tell you to do a close reading – they assume you will do this automatically. Close Reading: What is It?

 Using short passages and excerpts,  Diving right into the text with limited pre-reading activities,  Focusing on the text itself,  Re-reading deliberately,  Reading with a pencil/annotation,  Noticing things that are confusing, and  Discussing the text with others: Think-Pair Share, Turn and Talk, and/or Small groups. What Does It Include?

Annotation is marking a text to show understanding. While there are many ways to annotate, at Cordova, we are using the following: Pens/Pencils: The color of the pen/pencil is irrelevant. It is the mark that matters. Underlining: Underlining: The reader underlines words or passages that he/she thinks are essential to understanding the text. Readers may underline text that has already been highlighted in green. Circling: Readers circle words/text they do not understand or find confusing. What is Annotation?

Highlighters Highlighters * Yellow is used to highlight the thesis/claim of the text and the conclusion that mirrors or summarizes the thesis at the end of the text. By using the term claim (claim and yellow share the letter L), we simplify the language for all of us – teachers and students. *Green is used to highlight the evidence / grounds upon which the claim is based. It is the proof that supports the claim. Grounds and green share the letter G. What is Annotation?

No! Our process requires three readings to attain comprehension, understand the significance of the text, and establish an interpretation of the text. While experienced readers often combine steps, we want our readers to use three separate readings. I Read the Text. I’m Done, Right?

The reader attempts this cold with no preparation or help from the teacher other than the directions. In this step, the reader understands the reading by answering one of the following questions:  What happened? (fiction)  What is the author saying? (non-fiction)  What is the author trying to accomplish? (non- fiction) 1 st Reading:Comprehension

The reader annotates in this step using this process: 1.Underline important words/text. 2.Circle any words, ideas, or text that is confusing or not understood. 3.Highlight the claim and conclusion in yellow. 4.Highlight the grounds in green. The reader is trying to answer the following:  What is the message?  What is the argument/purpose? Reading #2:Significance

The third read is to create an interpretation of the piece at a higher, more analytical level. In this step, the reader adds a label and explanation to the underlined passages. Questions to address include the following:  What did the author do?  Why did he/she do it?  How/Why does it work? Reading #3:Interpretation

1.Read to comprehend. Look for the big picture. 2.Annotate to show understanding with highlighters and pens/pencils. 3.Interpret what you know. Practice Time