Close_read

Instructional Leader

Close Reading

The Common Core State Standards have brought
new attention to a long-respected and valuable
reading strategy called close reading.

Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher

T here are a host of different ways between the reader and the text. Read- Douglas Fisher ([email protected])
to engage students in reading, ers should develop an understanding of is a professor of teacher education at
including instructional routines the author’s words and bring their own San Diego State University and a teacher
that require extensive teacher support, experiences, beliefs, and ideas to bear leader at Health Sciences High and
such as shared readings, and instruc- on the text. In her words, “The reader Middle College in San Diego, CA.
tional routines that require extensive must remain faithful to the author’s Nancy Frey ([email protected]) is a
peer support, such as reciprocal teach- text and must be alert to the potential professor of teacher education at San
ing or literature circles. The Common clues concerning character and motive” Diego State University and a teacher
Core State Standards have drawn (p. 11). Rosenblatt cautioned that read- leader at Health Sciences High and
increased attention to an instructional ers might ignore elements in a text and Middle College.
routine called close reading, known in fail to realize that they are “imputing They are the authors, with Diane Lapp,
some circles as analytic reading. to the author views unjustified by the of Teaching Students to Read Like
text” (p. 11). Detectives (2012, Solution Tree).
Close reading is not a new instruc-
tional routine; it has existed for many Teaching Close Reading Watch the Video
decades as the practice of reading a If students already knew how to do
text for a level of detail not used in ev- this, then we would not be spend- Watch the video for close
eryday reading (Richards, 1929). Close ing time focused on close reading. reading strategies.
readings should be done with texts The problem is that students do not www.nassp.org/PL0113frey
that are worthy and complex enough arrive at school already knowing how
to warrant repeated r­eading and to interrogate a text and dig down January 2013 | Principal Leadership 57
detailed investigation. (See January to its deeper meaning. Teachers have
2012 column for a discussion about to teach students how to do this in
text complexity.) As Newkirk (2010) both informational and literary texts.
noted, not all texts demand this level In other words, close readings are
of attention, but some texts do. not the pervue of English teachers;
close readings should be conducted
In close reading, the reader has to in any class in which texts play a role,
develop a fairly sophisticated under- whether it is science, social studies,
standing of what the author actually auto mechanics, art, or physical edu-
said. The problem, as described by ad- cation. The video that accompanies
vocates of close reading, is that students this column features a social studies
are encouraged to answer questions teacher using a close reading ap-
that too soon take them away from proach to investigate a primary source
the reading to their own experiences. document. Close readings have a few
Instead, as Rosenblatt (1995) recom-
mended, there must be a transaction

Instructional Leader

factors in common, including the fol- ing types of marks in a text (we will A Close Reading Example
lowing items. focus on teaching annotation in next Middle school English teacher Ar-
month’s column): mando Perez asks his students to read
Short, worthy passages. Because n Underline the major points. “Eleven,” a short story by Sandra Cis-
close readings can be time-consuming, n Circle keywords or phrases that neros. He points out that they are still
it is often best to select shorter pieces exploring the inner lives of characters
of text for instruction. Those selec- are confusing or unknown to you. and how those inner lives compare
tions, typically between three and nine n Use a question mark for questions with the lives that others can see. The
paragraphs, allow students to practice students read the text independently,
the analytic skills required of sophisti- that you have during the reading. making notes as they do so. One
cated readers. Longer, extended texts Be sure to write your question. student, Fernando, underlines several
are often used to encourage students n Use an exclamation mark for places in the text and circles two
to practice the skills that they have things that surprise you, and brief- places. Following their independent
been taught during close readings. ly note what it was that caught reading, Perez reads the text aloud
your attention. to students, pausing to think aloud
The practice of rereading. As part n Draw an arrow when you make in three places that seemed to have
of a close reading, students must read a connection to something inside caused confusion for his students. He
and reread the selected text several the text or to an idea or experi- knew that because he had observed
times. This requires students to ex- ence outside the text. Briefly note them as they annotated the text and
pand their purposes for each repeated your connections. could thus target his modeling on
reading. Subsequent readings can be n Write EX when the author pro- areas of confusion.
completed independently, with peers, vides an example.
with teacher read-alouds, or any com- n Numerate arguments, important At one point, he pauses and says,
bination of those approaches. ideas, or key details, and write “They have a lot of years and num-
words or phrases that restate them. bers in this text, but this says that the
Annotation. Readers who take the Text-dependent questions. As sweater is maybe 1,000 years old. I’m
time to really read and investigate a part of every close reading, students having a hard time believing that. I’m
text take notes right on the text. They respond to text-dependent questions thinking that if it really were 1,000
“read with a pencil” so that they can that require them to provide evi- years old, it would be in a museum.
make notes about their understand- dence from the text, rather than their I’m thinking that this is an example of
ings or quickly find evidence when own experiences. As we described in hyperbole that is being used to make
they need it. Adler and Van Doren the September 2012 column, there a point.” Following his modeling,
(1940/1972) identified why annota- are ways to create text-dependent Perez asks his students to explore a
tion is so important: questions, and they do not have to be couple of questions, including, “How
recall and regurgitation questions. is age like an onion, at least accord-
Why is marking a book indis- After-reading tasks that require ing to the author?” and “Why does
pensable to reading it? First, it students to use information from the she start crying when she has to wear
keeps you awake—not merely text. Rather than take students away the sweater?” As the students talk
conscious, but wide awake. from the text, postreading activities with one another about those ques-
Second, reading, if active, is as part of close reading should require tions, they refer back to the text to
thinking, and thinking tends to that the student return to the text. locate specific information for their
express itself in words, spoken For example, students may write an responses.
or written. The person who argumentative piece in which they use
says he knows what he thinks evidence from the text and other texts; Next, Perez asks students to talk
but cannot express it usually engage in a Socratic seminar; or debate with their team members about the
does not know what he thinks. a topic. After-reading tasks should help character Rachel’s inner life saying,
Third, writing your reactions students consolidate the meaning of “From what the author tells us, what
down helps you remember the texts and deepen their comprehension is going on inside Rachel when her
thoughts of the author (p. 49). far beyond what they would be able to teacher says that the sweater has to
accomplish on their own. belong to someone?” The students are
Annotations include the follow-

58 Principal Leadership | January 2013

to focus on the words that Rachel uses Phyllis. Just remember to describe the and independent readings, close read-
to describe herself, such as skinny, and character’s inner life using evidence ings will give students the experiences
how the author refers to her “little provided from the text.” As the stu- they need to become skilled in analytic
voice.” A student in the class says, “I dents get to work, Perez meets with reading, a prerequisite for college and
don’t think Rachel has confidence be- several who have struggled with tasks career success.  PL
cause she stumbles on her answer to like this in the past to make sure that
the teacher, and then it says that she’s they are starting on the right track. References
feeling like she is three again.” n  Adler, M. J., & Van Doren, C.
Conclusion (1940/1972). How to read a book. New
Perez continues inviting argu- Close readings are an important com- York, NY: Touchstone.
ments, with evidence, as students ponent of reading instruction, but they n  Newkirk, T. (2010). The case for slow
reread the text looking for examples. are not the only instructional routine reading. Educational Leadership, 67(6),
They discuss the text within their that students need to use to become 6–11.
groups and periodically are invited successful readers. As an instructional n  Richards, I. A. (1929). Practical criticism.
to share with the whole class. After leader, you must ensure that students London, England: Cambridge University
they have read the text at least four are engaged in reading texts that are Press.
times, Perez asks his students to use worthy of their time. You also must n  Rosenblatt, L. M. (1995). Literature
their annotations to describe the inner ensure that students investigate the as exploration (5th ed.). New York, NY:
life of one of the characters in the text sufficiently to really develop an M­ odern Language Association.
short story. He says, “You might select appropriate level of understanding.
R­ achel, but alternatively you could Combined with shared, collaborative,
select Mrs. Price or Sylvia or even

January 2013 | Principal Leadership 59