Close Reading as a Habit of Mind

One strategy teachers can use to prepare their students for the increased rigor of the Common Core State Standards is close reading. Close reading was mentioned in the last blog post as an effective literacy strategy that helps students to focus, to think critically, and to make sense of the written word.

Close reading, according to Dr. Douglas Fisher, is "careful and purposeful reading. It's a careful and purposeful rereading of a text. It's an encounter with the text where students really focus on what the author had to say, what the author's purpose was, what the words mean, and what the structure of the text tells us."

Watch Doug Fisher explain the rationale of close reading in this short video clip.

In his iteachircoachiblog post, Court Allam explains five close reading strategies in more detail. He also provides a sample of student work. Have you tried these strategies? Do they work? Do they enable students to "own" their learning?

1.  Number the paragraphs.
2.  Chunk the text.
3.  Underline and circle...with a purpose.
4.  Left margin: What is the author saying?
5.  Right margin: Dig deeper into the text.

Another excellent resource is Kylene Beers and Robert Probst's book, Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading. You can watch them on this YouTube clip, if that's easier.

For me, the most compelling reason to integrate close reading strategies is the realization that we live in such a disjointed, frenetic, fast-paced, and sometimes mindless world. Perhaps we all need to slow down, ponder, reflect, and truly understand what we and others are thinking and feeling. Maybe close reading can become a habit of mind for all of us.

New Angle on Assessments

The August post about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Maine's adoption of the Smarter Balanced assessment generated a lot of blog and email activity. Many of you asked thoughtful questions about how these assessments are created...and the impact of student performance on teacher evaluation.

So, I asked an expert in the field of assessment development...my sister, Gretchen!!  She is currently the Principal Assessment Editor at CTB/McGraw Hill. Gretchen travels across the country working with teachers to craft and refine assessment items and to share insights into the instructional and assessment implications of the Common Core State Standards.  I asked Gretchen the following questions, to which she responded with the caveat that they represent her own ideas based on her experiences. In other words, she is not being a spokesperson for either CTB or its customers. Here then are her responses:

1.  How are the assessment items created? What is the process? How are teachers (active and practicing ones) involved in that process?

2.  How can teachers prepare their students for these rigorous and demanding assessments? What instructional practices do they need to let go of and which ones do they need to implement?

3.  What do you think about including student scores in the teacher evaluation process? What percentage or ratio sounds fair to you? What are some effective ways to do that? 

If you want more information, Gretchen's email is: Gretchen_Schultz@ctb.com.

It is reassuring to know that there are teachers in Maine who are already implementing many of her recommendations. For example, all the teachers (not just English teachers) at Bonny Eagle High School provided direct instruction on close reading strategies this past year. The English department focused its efforts on strengthening argumentative writing skills, and the math department routinely asks students to explain their thinking and conclusions.

These recommendations are practical, manageable, and doable. 
Thanks, Gretchen. You rock!