1. Close Reading
One teacher’s journey

2. Accidental Baptism by Fire: Summer Reading in 6th Grade 2012.
The gist of a middle school website read aloud by my son: “2012 summer reading. Read the books, Bone from a Dry Sea and House of the Scorpion. Annotate the text as you go. You will have a test on the book’s common themes in September. “
Son’s reaction: “What is annotate the text? “
Me/Mom: “Well, you underline or jot in the margins what is important and what stands out to you. “
Son’s nonverbal response: Silence and based on his face, dread of the deepest sort.
Me/Mom: “I will read ahead of you and under line and jot my thoughts and questions so you can see how it is done.”

3. Where did I begin?
CCSS 4.1, 4.2, 4.3
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).

4. *Post it notes and reader’s notebooks were started
Now what?
Classroom Structures
Turn and Talk groups were formed students in each group. Read Alouds were the first rereading in my class.
*Post it notes and reader’s notebooks were started
Graffiti Charts

5. Resources I have found for Close Reading Strategies:
Falling in Love With Close Reading by Christopher Lehman and Kate Roberts
Notice and Note by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst
Reading Nonfiction by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst

6. Other places I have found resources:
Fiction:
Excerpts from novels:
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Chains
Hatchet
Charlotte’s Web
Poppy
The One and Only Ivan
Loser
Short Story Collections:
Hey World, Here I Am!
Every Living Thing
Poems, fables, myths
Nonfiction:
Newsela.com
Time for kids
Sports Illustrated for kids
DOGOnews.com
ReadWorks.org
CNN Student News
Whyfiles.org (science and news)
ixl.com (math and ELA)

7. Cover the Standards or Use the Data?
From panic to CCSS…..
From CCSS only to using anchor charts with specific approaches and language
From only CCSS and using anchor charts to……...
This year I am beginning to use data to decide what will be a focus in a close reading. Close reading may be whole group or small focus groups.

8. What could be a focus for a close read in my room?...

9. Wins and Continued Struggles...
Positives:
Close Reading is happening
Discussions are richer and WAY more grounded in the text.
Students are beginning to understand that plot junky reading and reading for deeper meaning require different sets of skills.
Have Not Master It Yet:
Making time for weekly close reading is often a struggle.
Finding worthy texts is not easy to find.
*Writing about close reading and talking about what we are close reading are not at the same level yet.
Independent reread of the text is not consistent.