Resources for Close Reading

posted by: Melissa | January 10, 2014, 06:03 PM

While the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts never mention close reading by name as a strategy to use, it is clear by reading the standards and the accompanying documents that this method remains one of the best at reaching the goals CCSS sets forth. For this reason, states and organizations dedicated to the implementation of CCSS are trumpeting this strategy as “the one” to use in English-Language Arts. Unfortunately, many teachers remain confused on how to implement close reading in their classroom.

To help them out, we’ve compiled a list of resources that teachers can turn to:

What does close reading mean?

A wonderful explanation by Doug Fisher

David Coleman explains the basics of the technique using Letter from a Birmingham Jail as an example

An Explanation of the technique by ASCD

Grant Wiggins (Instruction by Design) explains close reading

A guide on close reading and text complexity from the International Reading Association

Watch examples of close reading

Middle school classroom reading Tom Sawyer

Robert Frost poem in a high school classroom

Example in a 5^th grade class using a nonfiction resource

Written example from Purdue OWL using a Shakespearean sonnet

Lesson Examples

Model lessons from Achieve the Core

Strategy guide with example lessons from ReadWriteThink

Help developing a close reading lesson

Indepth guide from the Critical Thinking Community (part one, part two, and part three)

A short and simple guide from Dr. Sophia McClennen of Penn State

Pinterest boards on close reading here and here

Was this helpful? Is there something you need help finding resources on? Do you have a question about Common Core? Let us know and we may feature your question in a future blog entry.

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