# data[].attributes.body
Close reading is a way to analyze the text and focus on the important details to gain an understanding of the text's form, craft, and meanings.

There are many ways to use close reading such as:

Using short passages

Rereading parts of a story

Noticing things that are confusing

Discussing the text with others

Think-Pair Share

Small groups / Whole group discussion

Responding to text-dependent questions

There are 3 steps to close reading:

1. First Read: Key Ideas and Details - Let the child try to read the text on their own. You want to build background knowledge here and make sure the readers know they should be looking for main idea, details, etc.

2. Second Read: Craft and Structure - Select a part of the text that is slightly more complex so the students can reread to find deeper meaning. This is when you can have the students pair up and discuss their findings.

3. Third Read: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas - This is when the student needs to go even deeper! They will learn to synthesize

# data[].attributes.body
This website is an amazing article that gives information and insight into what close reading is! It will benefit any teacher or parent who wants to learn more about what close reading is and how to implement it correctly.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are some amazing graphic organizers that can help you in your classroom or for your child at home. This first graphic organizer helps students to organize their thoughts, find unknown words, notice headings, define vocabulary and find the main idea of the text.

# data[].attributes.body
This chart is a great way to break down some steps on what close reading is. It will benefit any student, at home or in the classroom! This is a great way to remember what close reading is and all of the amazing skills that come along with practicing this reading technique.

# data[].attributes.body
Today we are going to look at a page from the story "Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass" by Doreen Rappaport. First, I want you to read the page. What do you notice? What words do you not understand? What is the main idea on this page? Why does the author have text with a different color on this page?

# data[].attributes.body
Now, let's dig a little deeper into this page.
How can we use the context clues to figure out what the word coarse means?

"Old Master made Frederick sleep on a clay floor in a closet, covered by a coarse blanket. His only clothing was an itchy shirt.

You can use the second sentence to help you figure out that coarse means uncomfortable, just like his shirt that was itchy. You can also see that he is sleeping on clay. Most children know what clay is similar to play-doh and is not very comfortable either. Just by using the words around the text, we have figured out the meaning of a new vocabulary word.

# data[].attributes.body
Listen to me discuss how you can dig deeper from this part of the text. It is only 3 minutes, but will provide you with some great ways to help children put it all together to make sense of the readings.

# data[].attributes.body
Here are the notes that I took from this page. I used sticky notes to help me remember what the word coarse meant. I also asked a general question, which was discussed in the previous post, about why the point-of-view changed in the story. I then asked another question about Frederick fighting with dogs. This is a great text-dependent question that will allow the student to prove where the answer came from. Using sticky notes is an amazing way to practice close reading techniques.

# data[].attributes.body
In the following posts, I will share some of my favorite close reading resources. They will help guide you in the right direction when you need some further assistance. I hope that the things I have shared with you help you implement close reading in your classrooms or at home with your children. Thank you for reading and learning with me!

# data[].attributes.body
This video annotates an excerpt from Shakespeare. It is for older students, but really helps break down the meaning behind the text. This is a great example to keep in your resource pile.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Annotate With Me (Close Reading Strategies for Literary Passages)

# data[].attributes.body
This book "Falling in Love with Close Reading" is a great tool for helping you to implement more strategies in your classroom or at home. The book is affordable and offers easy to implement strategies. Definitely a keeper!

# data[].attributes.body
These podcasts are fabulous. I think they are a great way for adults to implement close reading into their own life so that way, you can help out students! These podcasts are like a book club and teach you how to dig deeper into the text. They read classic books and discuss with authors how to implement close reading strategies. This is a great resource to go back to.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
And we are on to a new book! Join David, Heidi, and very special guests Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well, and Joshua Gibbs, host of Proverbial, for a discussion about Mary Shelley's legendary novel, Frankenstein. In this episode they chat about the story behind the book, Shelley's wild and sad life, the differences in the editions, some preliminary themes, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to episodes and learn more about Close Reads. From the Close Reads Podcast Network, Close Reads is a book-club podcast hosted by David Kern and featuring an array of contributors, including Tim McIntosh, Heidi White, and others.

# data[].attributes.body
Now that you know all about close reading, keep this resource that has passages for grades 2-6. It features fiction and nonfiction passages for you to practice with your child or your students. The students will focus on strategic discussion and questioning from the surface level to a deep understanding of the text.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Passages for Teaching 21st Century Skills

Close Reading promotes careful analysis of text while building the 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. With the Close Read Passages, students are guided through repeated readings of a single passage using strategic discussion and questioning at four layers of depth, from surface level to a deeper understanding of the text.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Close Reading promotes careful analysis of text while building the 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. With the Close Read Passages, students are guided through repeated readings of a single passage using strategic discussion and questioning at four layers of depth, from surface level to a deeper understanding of the text.