CLOSE READING & ANNOTATING WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO DO IT

WHAT IS CLOSE READING? To read well requires you to develop your thinking about reading, and, as a result, to learn how to engage in the process of close reading. It’s READING FOR PURPOSE!

WHEN DO I NEED TO DO A CLOSE READ? How you read should be determined in part by what you read; you do not do a close read for EVERY thing you read Skilled readers read purposefully, to determine what they are reading; they read in different ways in different situations for different purposes. Text complexity Reading for comprehension versus reading for pleasure

CLOSE READING In general, we read to figure out what authors/writers mean….. Our reading is also influenced by the purpose for reading and by the nature of the text (what kind of text is it? Why was it written?) For example, when we read for pleasure, it does not matter if we fully understand the text. Some of the various purposes for reading include: -Sheet pleasure; no skill level needed -To figure out a simple idea; may require skimming the text -To gain specific technical information; skimming also required -To enter, understand, and appreciate a new world-view; requires close reading skills in working through a challenging series of tasks -To learn a new subject requires close reading skills to really internalize and take control of the meaning

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? Language Word choice (diction) Vocabulary words Reading completion Craft and Structure Who is telling the story or writing the piece? How is it written, or being narrated? Text structure Context Historical background Author’s background Syntax Order in which words appear Repeated phrases

TEXT DEPENDENT QUESTIONS Highest level: Opinions, arguments, intertextual connections Inferences Author’s purpose Vocab and text structure Key details Lowest level: General understanding

FIRST READ Should allow the reader to determine what the text says This is an independent read by the student After the first read, you are looking for key ideas and details like what you learned from the piece or what might have been unfamiliar to you

SECOND READ Should allow the reader to determine how a text works (this is called craft and structure) For this reading, the teacher will read the piece aloud and think aloud with students After this reading, you will be asked text-dependent questions that require you to read through and respond to questions about the author’s craft and structure of the piece

THIRD READ Should allow readers to evaluate the value of the text and make connections (integration of knowledge of ideas) This read reading can be done individually, with a partner, or a read aloud After this third reading, it is time to strive for the meaning of the text as a whole; synthesize ideas and asses what passages are important and why

TIME TO PRACTICE!

“’CHEATING’ CAN BE AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING STRATEGY” BY TANIA LOMBROZO First read- read silently to yourself Second read- teacher reads aloud and respond to text-dependent questions Third read- read with a partner and discuss

FIRST READ After reading individually to yourself, determine what the text says -Take marginal notes to yourself -Partner talk to check meaning -Share what you learned and what things were unfamiliar to you

SECOND READ I will read aloud; please follow along as we work to determine how the text is structured/how it works. After the read/think aloud: - Text dependent questions on your own (choose one from each category on your text- dependent hand out)

THIRD READ Now, read one last time by yourself to start making some connections to the text and evaluating the goal of the author. After reading/making marginal notes: -Writing prompt -Discussion: why is this important to know? How will this information help me? What is the take away? What passages are most significant and WHY?

ANNOTATING TEXT

WHAT IS ANNOTATING? Annotating means underlining or highlighting key words and phrases- anything that strikes you as surprising or significant, or that raises questions- as well as making notes in the margins. When we respond this way to text, we force ourselves to pay closer attention and consider author’s purpose. The way a reader chooses to interact with a text will vary from reader to reader, but here is an example of a poem that has been annotated:

PURPOSE/GOALS FOR ANNOTATING Capture main ideas / key concepts / details of a reading Target, reduce and distill the needed information from a text Improve efficiency in reading and reviewing text Strengthen reading comprehension

ANNOTATING ACTIVITY Using our article on cheating from yesterday, in the margins you must make the following notations: Write at least 2 questions that arise naturally as you read. What sections leave you needing more information or clarification? Write at least 2 “I believe…” statements about sections that naturally interest you or sections that you wish to explain more clearly for yourself Underline at least 2 unfamiliar words and try to explain them in the margins using context clues Respond to at least 2 images, statements, or descriptions that affect you in some way Circle any word/words that are repeated for effect or have strong connotations associated with them; analyze the author’s diction. Near the word your circled, explain why you think the author has deemed it worthy of repetition or has chosen this word At the end of the article, determine the overall TONE (see your handout in packet) of the entire article Underline any dates, names, people, etc. that seem important to remember At the end, write a short summary of the overall impact this article had on you, foreshadow events, etc. using at least 2 pieces of textual evidence to explain yourself

COLLABORATIVE ANNOTATION: USING POEM This is a technique that is used after students have already completed their own individual annotations In groups of 3-5, students pass their annotated copy to the person on the right. Each individual focuses on, and makes additions to, the original reader’s commentary; the next time the papers pass, each individual adds his/her commentary to both of the previous readers’ commentary and this process continues until the original reader has his/her paper back. Thus, each student has had three or four people build and expand on his/her ideas; this is a powerful way to encourage engagement and group participation. (Note: It is important that students understand that they are to expand on the original reader’s ideas and/or questions, not simply add what ideas they had on their papers.)