1. Module 1 Addressing The Common Core Standards Through Close Reading

2. Objectives Familiarize ourselves with the Common Core Standards
Learn more about the instructional strategies that support the CCSS instructional shifts
Understand the planning process for close reading
Learn strategies that support the development of student partnerships
1 min.

3. Norms Respect for all perspectives Active listening and participation
Maintain a positive outlook and attitude
Proactive problem solving
Assumption of positive intent
1 min

4. Whittier City School District’s Instructional Focus
Developing deep comprehension and interpretive skills using literature and informational text, with an implicit focus on informational text and expository writing
Instructional Shifts
Building Knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts and literature
Rich and rigorous conversations, dependent on common text
Reading and writing grounded in evidence
Instructional Strategies
2 min.
Close Reading
Constructed Response/Text Dependent Questions
Text based discussions

5. Examining Standards
Examine the standards within each cluster for your grade span
Look at each standard across the grade span, one at a time
What words and descriptions of the standards stand out within each cluster?
How do the skills build across grade levels?
Summarize each cluster
What do students need to know and be able to do within each cluster?
Document your findings on the worksheet provided
Be prepared to share out.
K-2 pgs. 1-2 & 15
3-5 pgs. 2-3 & 16
6-8 pgs & 39
20 mins.
15 min group work/5 min. share out
We’d like to begin today’s session with allowing you time to examine the standards for Reading Literature and Speaking and Listening. It’s very important that we all
familiarize ourselves with these standards so they can become part of our everyday teaching. This activity will also set us up for our work today as we develop close reading lessons that address these standards.
Give teachers about 3 minutes to work on each cluster. Give them frequent reminders to document their findings.

6. Professional Reading Closing In On Close Reading By Nancy Boyles
25 minutes.
15-20 minutes reading
5-10 minute discussion minutes
In order to successfully prepare students for college and the workforce, the Common Core Standards ask for students to be able to analyze, evaluate, and deeply understand a variety of texts. Close reading is an instructional strategy that can be used to help develop deep comprehension of texts. We will now have the opportunity to read about close reading and learn about its important in our classroom.
Closing In On Close Reading
By Nancy Boyles

7. Language Convention and Clarity
What makes a text complex?
Background
Prior
Cultural
Vocabulary
Standard English
Variations
Register
Genre
Organization
Narration
Text Features
Graphics
Density and Complexity
Figurative Language
Purpose
Levels of Meaning
Structure
Knowledge Demands
Language Convention and Clarity
2 mins.
As the article mentioned, close reading is an instructional strategy that should not be used with all texts. This is because not all texts are worthy of repeated readings. Close reading is best suited for complex texts. This diagram shows what makes a text complex.

8. Whittier City School District’s Instructional Focus
Developing deep comprehension and interpretive skills using literature and informational text, with an implicit focus on informational text and expository writing
Instructional Shifts
Building Knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts and literature
Rich and rigorous conversations, dependent on common text
Reading and writing grounded in evidence
Instructional Strategies
1 min.
As we mentioned earlier, this year our focus will be on addressing these shifts as well as implementing the instructional strategies. We are now going to take you through a planning process that will utilize all three strategies as well as address multiple standards.
Close Reading
Constructed Response/Text Dependent Questions
Text based discussions

9. Close Reading with Corduroy
4 mins.

10. First Read
The GOAL of the first read is for students to have a general understanding of what the text is about
1 min.

11. Planning For The First Read
Decide what information must be frontloaded
What background information is essential before reading?
Decide what vocabulary needs to be clarified
Identify and clarify challenging vocabulary when reading through the text the first time
1 min.
If you think there is key information that students need to know before they read the text (something necessary for making sense of the text that isn't stated in the text), by all means tell it. But only do frontload if it’s necessary. ). We do not want to eveal a lot of information about the text that the students can find out by reading the text.
When clarifying vocabulary words you can determine if definitions need to be frontloaded or if they can quickly be defined in while reading the text.

12. Planning For The First Read
Decide how the text will be read
Read Aloud, Whisper Read, Choral Read, Partner Read, Independent Read
*This will depend on the complexity of the text and time of year
Decide how students will recount the story after the first read
Whip around
Talking stick/chips
Partner retell
Chart paper/scenes, Flow Map
Others?
1 min.
The goal of the retell is to ensure students have a general understanding of what was read.

13. Let’s Practice A First Read
Read the entire selection
Frontload if necessary
Stop only to define key vocabulary words
Recount and retell the text
Whip around the table to recount and retell the story
Each person tells a little bit of the story starting and stopping at natural stopping points
10 min.

14. Discussion
Why is it important for students to retell what the text was about?
How does this help set the stage for deeper reading?
3-5 min. Whole group discussion

15. Planning For Close Reading
Determine what themes are emerging after reading the text
Elaborate on the theme
What is this story saying or showing us about________?
5 mins.
Each table has a chart in the center and they come up with possible themes or messages from the story.
On the chart they list the themes they discussed as well as elaborate on the theme by using the frame
Tables share out.
Remember this is the work a Teachers does while planning, but does not give the theme to students. You want students to discover the theme on their own.

16. Corduroy Possible Themes Everybody wants to belong to someone.
Everyone wants a special friend.
Friends take care of each other.
Friends accept each other.
2 min.
How do your themes match with what we came up with? What are the similarities?

17. Examining the Standards
What standards seem to be most suited for this story?
5 mins.
Have tables put their heads together to look at the standards and decide which standards could best be addressed with this story.
Allow a few tables to share-out. Confirm the fact that there are several standards that can be addressed with this story.

18. Planning For Close Reading
Chunk the text into Pivotal Passages
What sections merit a second read?
Important scenes and memorable moments
Subtle yet significant details in the text
Lengthy and substantial interaction
Natural start and end to a scene, event or conversation
*Be sure pivotal passages support understanding of the theme
2 min.
After the first read, we move into the second read which is when we will work on reading closely for deeper meaning and developing new understandings.
The purpose of this process is take a 2nd look at sections/ passages that really support the theme/s we want students to discover.
To identify passages that merit a second read, consider: (read slide)
Inform participants of where we divided the text into pivotal passages. Briefly our reasoning. Have them draw a line and number each pivotal passage.

19. Planning For Close Reading
Determine Understanding to be Developed
What do we want students to understand after reading this section of the text?
How does it relate to the overall theme?
1 min.

20. Pivotal Passage #1
Understanding To Be Developed:
Corduroy is a lonely bear and longs for someone to take him home.
5 min.
Facilitator re-reads Pivotal Passage 1 then shares the Understanding to be Developed
Model for teachers how we determined the understanding to be developed for pivotal passage #1.

21. Let’s Practice With your table partner:
Read the second pivotal passage
Script the understanding that you want students to develop after reading this section
Share with your table and share out to the group
5 mins.
After participants share their responses then facilitator shares the understanding from the lesson plan: Corduroy explores the store and discovers new things he wants
Understanding for pivotal passage #2
Corduroy explores the store and discovers new things he wants

22. Planning For Close Reading
Develop Text Based Questions
Draft questions that will help students get to the understanding that needs to be developed
Ensure questions lead students back to the text and support discussion
1 min.

23. Let’s Practice Close Reading
Text Based Questions for Pivotal Passage #1
How does Corduroy feel in the department store? What did you read that made you think that? (TPS)
What does the little girl think of Corduroy? How do you know? (TPS) 
What does her mom think of Corduroy? How do you know? (TPS) 
Who do you agree with? Why? (TPS)
Retell what happens in this part of the story? (TS)
10 mins.
Walk participants through answering questions using the interactive structures provided.
Have teachers notice the structures we have in place for engagement with text, partners, and entire group.

24. Planning For Close Reading
Develop an Enduring Question
Draft a question students could think about and discuss while reading the text that helps them to uncover the theme
This question will be asked throughout each pivotal passage
1 min.
The enduring question is the same for each pivotal passage. The purpose is to support students in uncovering the theme.
Walk participants through answering questions with partners

25. Practicing Close Reading
Enduring Question
What are we learning about what Corduroy wants? (QW)
8 min.

26. Practicing Close Reading
Understanding to Develop:
Corduroy explores the store and discovers new things he wants.
Pivotal Passage #2 Text Based Questions
What makes Corduroy want to leave the toy section of the store? (TPS)
What does Corduroy discover? (TPS)
When Corduroy says “ I’ve always wanted to…… what does this tell us about Corduroy? (refer to several references of this phrase) (TPS)
Retell what happens in this part of the story? (TS)
15 min.
Walk participants through answering questions with partners

27. What did our students say?
10 min.

28. Planning For Close Reading
Develop a culminating question for discussion and constructed response
This question will be asked to engage the class in an extended discussion about the theme
Students will also answer this question in writing (constructed response)
1 min.

29. Let’s Practice
Culminating Question for discussion and constructed response
What is the author’s message about friendship? (CR)
5 mins. share w/ partner
Walk participants through answering questions with partners
********This may need to be relocated

30. Examine Sample Lessons
10 mins.
Give teachers time to look at pivotal passage 3 &4. Notice how enduring question is the same and culminating question appears at the end of pivotal passage 4.

31. Interactive Structures
Increase student engagement and allow teachers to check for understanding
Interactive Structure Options
Whip Around
Heads Together
Talking Stick/ Talking Chips
Think, Pair, Share
Think, Write, Pair, Share
Partner work
Quick Write
8 mins.
Pass out interactive structure document. Give teachers time to read it. Share one they use all of the time and one they want to try.
As students engage in interactive structures it is critical for teachers to walk around the room to listen in on students’ conversations to gather information on student understanding

32. Examining The Common Core Standards
Based on the questions from the first two Pivotal Passages:
Which Reading Standards are we addressing?
Which Listening and Speaking Standards are we addressing?
Which Writing standards are we addressing?
8 mins (Maybe we share the standards)
Break up into 3 groups. Each group looks at a set of standards.

33. Using Collaborative Learning to Foster Discussion and Writing

34. Comprehension and Collaboration
This is Standard 1 of Speaking and Listening
1. Prepare for and participate in collaborations with diverse partners, building on each others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

35. Phasing in Text Based Discussions
Establish partnerships in your classroom
Set up your classroom to support partner work at their seats and on the carpet
Discuss why partnerships are important for learning
Decide which students will be partner A/B
Have students practice turning to their partners
3 mins.
Powerful discussions will only happen if we have routines in place. When we tried the lessons out we noticed that students would benefit from more time on learning how to have effective partnerships. We must explicitly teach these behaviors. Here are some things we feel need to be established.

36. Phasing In Text-Based Discussions
Teach the behaviors partners demonstrate
Look at each other
Listen to each other carefully
Lean in closely
Take turns
(A & B, B) & A)
1 mins.
Kids won’t naturally know how to work with a partner. WE must explicitly teach them. It doesn’t just happen overnight.
Not just the content but the social aspect.

37. Phasing In Text-Based Discussions
Teach strategies partners use
Lean in closely to hear
Ask a partner to speak up when they cannot hear
They say things like, “Now it’s your turn.” “What do you think?”
1 min.

38. Phasing In Text-Based Discussions
Discuss social topics that promote discussion
favorite school lunch
best thing to play at recess
Introduce Conversation Stems
I think _____because……
I agree….because…. I disagree…..because…
I would like to add onto what _____said…one reason
Another thing to consider is……
1 min.

39. What Is Our Ongoing Role In Developing Student Partnerships?
Observe: Are students….
Giving each other eye contact
Leaning in, nodding, reacting
Taking turns
Talking or staying silent
Coach: (whisper in )
Say more about that….
What do you mean…
How can you show your partner you’re listening?
Give Feedback:
Today I noticed you were taking turns speaking
I noticed you made sure to look at your partner
Kept focused and on task
3-5 mins.

40. We all need a pep-talk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-gQLqv9f4o
4 mins.

41. Next Steps
Schedule a time to teach the lessons and debrief the process
Establish Partnerships & Phase in Discussions
Teach Discussion Stems
Review the grade level planning tool for close reading with your team & try it out
Bring artifacts (charts, student work samples, videos, pictures, notes)
2 mins.

42. Thank you!