We are following a strategic process in reading to foster a deeper understanding of text through sustained interaction. Students dig deeper with multiple reads while thinking, questioning and discussing the text over and over again. This process is called Close Reading. You can read more about this process in the March 13 post below called Close Reading with Baggie Books.
After practicing with texts that were written on paper, we are moving into real books. Of course we cannot color and highlight the text in a book. So we are using a graphic organizer to capture and record this process as we interact with a text. I've attached a copy for your reference. Nonfiction organizer for Close Reading. Students use this document to record vocabulary for discussion and clarification as well as their thinking. We call this our "Jot Thoughts." We code these thoughts by type:
P What we picture in our mind
? What we wonder or question
I What we find interesting
heart What we feel, our emotions
TT Text to text connection
TS Text to self connection
TW Text to world connection
Nonfiction texts are packed with details to support the main idea or topic of the book. In order to narrow the focus and tune into the many details, we often break the text into smaller parts to read and digest. We use Post-its to identify a stopping point and record that page number on our Reading Logs.
You can help support this process by having them read the assigned section multiple times and encouraging them to discuss it with you. Help them clarify their understanding by having a conversation about interesting vocabulary, difficult words, or confusing parts. You can also ask them to identify the main idea of each section as well as important details. This helps us organize ALL the facts contained in a text into related groups (subtopics) of information that can be identified as the important details that support the main idea.
After practicing with texts that were written on paper, we are moving into real books. Of course we cannot color and highlight the text in a book. So we are using a graphic organizer to capture and record this process as we interact with a text. I've attached a copy for your reference. Nonfiction organizer for Close Reading. Students use this document to record vocabulary for discussion and clarification as well as their thinking. We call this our "Jot Thoughts." We code these thoughts by type:
P What we picture in our mind
? What we wonder or question
I What we find interesting
heart What we feel, our emotions
TT Text to text connection
TS Text to self connection
TW Text to world connection
Nonfiction texts are packed with details to support the main idea or topic of the book. In order to narrow the focus and tune into the many details, we often break the text into smaller parts to read and digest. We use Post-its to identify a stopping point and record that page number on our Reading Logs.
You can help support this process by having them read the assigned section multiple times and encouraging them to discuss it with you. Help them clarify their understanding by having a conversation about interesting vocabulary, difficult words, or confusing parts. You can also ask them to identify the main idea of each section as well as important details. This helps us organize ALL the facts contained in a text into related groups (subtopics) of information that can be identified as the important details that support the main idea.