Close Reading

“Anyway, the fascinating thing was that I read in National Geographic that there are more people alive now than have died in all of human history. In other words, if everyone wanted to play Hamlet once, they couldn’t, because there aren’t enough skulls!” —Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2005), p. 3

“Every book has a skeleton hidden between its covers “Every book has a skeleton hidden between its covers. Your job as an analytic reader is to find it.” Adler and Van Dore, 1940/1972

“X-ray the book”

Creating a Close Reading

Creating a Close Reading Use a short passage Creating a Close Reading

Creating a Close Reading Use a short passage Re-reading Creating a Close Reading

Creating a Close Reading Use a short passage Re-reading “Read with a pencil” Creating a Close Reading

Creating a Close Reading Use a short passage Re-reading “Read with a pencil” Text-dependent questions Creating a Close Reading

Creating a Close Reading Use a short passage Re-reading “Read with a pencil” Text-dependent questions Give students the chance to struggle a bit Creating a Close Reading

“Read like a detective, write like a reporter.”

“Salvador, Late or Early” A Close Reading of “Salvador, Late or Early” Close reading is almost always and encounter with the text first…no modeling first Participants read and then answer a question Doug will read to them and model thinking focusing on one thing…sentence structure Traditionally this piece would be one of three pieces read in one period Now this text would be read for three days (Cisneros, Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, 1991)