Noting Details Background from Douglas Fisher

What do we do when we note details? “We do an intensive analysis of a text in order to come to terms with what it says, how it says it, and what it means.” Tim Shanahan Now that we know what close reading is not…let’s look how it is defined by the leading experts in literacy.

Noting Details “Focused, sustained reading and rereading of a text for the purpose of understanding key points, gathering evidence, and building knowledge. Pearson, page 48

Noting details provide us the opportunity to assimilate new textual information with their existing background knowledge and prior experiences to expand their schema. Doug Fisher The challenge is in not becoming so focused on background knowledge and prior experiences such that we end up spending little time on the textual information. Activation alone, although important, doesn’t expand knowledge.

Also, to note details effectively is to develop the necessary habits of readers when they engage with a complex piece of text. Doug Fisher These include building stamina and persistence when confronted by a reading that isn’t easily consumed. In addition, students need to build the habit of considering their own background knowledge when there isn’t someone prompting them to do so. Paul and Elder (2003) recommended that students regularly engage in four such habits: 1. Identifying their own purpose for reading the text 2. Determining the author’s purpose for writing it 3. Developing their own schema 4. Considering the thought systems of a discipline, or what we might call genres and discipline-specific language (e.g., a poem differs from a science article)

How to note details effectively Read with a pencil in hand – annotate the text! Look for patterns in the things you’ve noticed about the text – repetitions, contradictions, similarities This is whatever the teacher wants the students to look for: key ideas and details, central message or theme, character traits, etc. Ask questions about the patterns you’ve noticed – especially how and why

Annotation is a note of any form made while reading text. Annotating the text can take ANY form—sketching, words, phrases, and/or complete sentences. “Reading with a pencil”

Annotation slows down the reader in order to deepen understanding. What is the purpose of asking students to annotate the text?

People have been annotating texts since there have been texts to annotate.

Annotation is not highlighting. Highlighting alone is NOT annotating. When something is highlighted, studnents MUST be asked to note why the selection was highlighted.

Modeling in 9th Grade English

“Noting details must be accompanied by other essential instructional practices that are vital to reading development: interactive read-alouds and shared readings, teacher modeling and think-alouds.” --Douglas Fisher Moreover, close reading must be accompanied by other essential instructional practices that are vital to reading development: interactive read-alouds and shared readings, teacher modeling and think-alouds, guided reading with leveled texts, collaborative reading and discussion, and independent reading and writing. To abandon these practices in favor of close reading exclusively would be akin to having a toolbox with only one tool in it. As the old saying goes, “when all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”

A final thought…. “If young readers do do comprehending, inferring, synthesizing well—then they’ll move rapidly up levels to the kinds of stories where paying attention to craft, structure, and language will become an essential part of their everyday reading work.” -Calkins, Ehrenworth, & Lehman, 2012 WHILE IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT ANCHOR STANDARDS 1 AND 10 ARE THE ‘STRUTS’ ON A LADDER THAT SUPPORT ALL OTHER ANCHOR STANDARDS (RUNGS ON THE LADDER), ALL STANDARDS ARE IMPORTANT. The link between standards 1 & 10 is important because it suggests that although it is crucial for students to be able to handle increasingly complex texts. Reading must never be mere word calling: accuracy without literal comprehension is not reading. THE FOCUS HERE IS THE FACT THAT READING IS A MEANING MAKING PROCESS.

WHY THE DOCTOR WAS HELD UP A story from the Reader’s Digest WHY THE DOCTOR WAS HELD UP

Who do you think are the major characters in this story? A little before nine, the phone rang. “Glenn Falls calling Dr. Van Eyck, said the operator. “Speaking.” Who do you think are the major characters in this story? Do you think the operator is a major character in the story?

There was the usual go-ahead please, and then, “This is Dr There was the usual go-ahead please, and then, “This is Dr. Haydon at the Glenn Falls Hospital. A boy was just brought in with a bullet in his brain. He’s hemorrhaging badly and the pulse is weak.” “Hemorrhaging” is a big word. What do you think it means? How do you know? Point out the part in the text that gives you a clue.

There was the usual go-ahead please, and then, “This is Dr There was the usual go-ahead please, and then, “This is Dr. Haydon at the Glenn Falls Hospital. A boy was just brought in with a bullet in his brain. He’s hemorrhaging badly and the pulse is weak.” Why fact is Dr. Haydon establishing about the boy based on what he is telling Dr. Van Eyck? What does Dr. Haydon want Dr. Van Eyck to do?

“I’m 30 miles from Glenn Falls,” said Dr. Van Eyck. “Have you tried Dr “I’m 30 miles from Glenn Falls,” said Dr. Van Eyck. “Have you tried Dr. Mercer?” “He’s out of town,” said Dr. Haydon. “The reason I’m calling you is that the boy comes from your city. He was spending the weekend here and shot himself with a .22.”

“You say the boy’s from Albany. ” asked Dr. Van Eyck. “What’s his name “You say the boy’s from Albany?” asked Dr. Van Eyck. “What’s his name?” “Arthur Cunningham.” “Don’t think I know him. But I’ll get there as fast as I can. It’s snowing badly, but I think I could make it before midnight.” “I ought to tell you the kid’s parents are poor and there isn’t much chance of a fee.” “That’s all right,” said Dr. Van Eyck.

A few minutes later, the surgeon’s car stopped for a red light in the outskirts of Albany. A man in a brown leather jacket opened the door and climbed in. “Drive straight ahead mister,” he said, “and better not make a fuss—I’ve got a gun.” “I’m a doctor,” said Van Eyck, “and this is an emergency.” “Never mind the talk,” said the man in the jacket. “Step on it.” A mile out of town, he ordered the doctor to stop and get out.

It took a half hour for Dr It took a half hour for Dr. Van Eyck to find a phone, and a lot of talking to persuade a taxi company to send out a cab. At the railroad depot, he found the next train to Glenn Falls wasn’t until 12:10.

It was after two when the surgeon reached the hospital. Dr It was after two when the surgeon reached the hospital. Dr. Haydon was waiting for him. “I did my best,” said Van Eyck, “but my car–” “It was good of you to try,” said Dr. Haydon. “The boy died an hour ago.”

As the two men walked past the waiting room, Van Eyck suddenly stopped As the two men walked past the waiting room, Van Eyck suddenly stopped. On one of the benches, his head in his hands, was the man in the brown leather jacket. “Mr. Cunningham,” said Dr. Haydon. “Meet Dr. Van Eyck. He came all the way from Albany to try to save your boy.”