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Close Reading

Grades: All
Estimated Duration: 30+ minutes

Table of Contents

All
Check for understanding, Comprehension, Inquiry, Knowledge acquisition, Practice
Any
Combination, Individual, pair, small group, Whole class
Optional

Description

Close reading is a comprehension strategy that involves carefully reading and critically examining a text. Close reading follows an ordered process from examining the most literal ideas to interpreting complex ideas to finally making connections beyond the text. First, students read to understand what the text explicitly says, including what the words and sentences mean. Then students reread to analyze the text by answering text-dependent questions and making inferences to determine the author’s purpose and how the author’s craft and structure of the text contribute to its meaning. Teachers may chunk parts of the text for students to reread as they focus on different areas of analysis. Finally, students integrate information from the text by making meaningful connections to themselves, background knowledge, and similar texts. Throughout the process, students are encouraged to write about and discuss the meaning of the text, including citing evidence from the text to support claims and conclusions drawn. The ultimate goal of close reading is for students to develop skills to comprehend complex and challenging text independently.

When To Use It

As a learning strategy, use close reading when you want students to:

  • increase comprehension through repeated readings that focus on different levels of understanding and inquiry
  • read and analyze complex texts while taking notes and annotating the text
  • examine explicit and abstract elements in a text
  • make connections within and beyond a text
  • use textual evidence to support conclusions about a text
  • collaborate with their peers to clarify and interpret a text

As an instructional strategy, use close reading when you want to:

  • scaffold the development of effective reading comprehension strategies
  • support students with constructing knowledge based on information in a text
  • teach students how to make inferences from information in a text and text structure
  • teach students how to answer text-dependent question
  • engage students in discussions and dialogue about a text
  • teach students how to annotate a text to highlight textual evidence and ideas that stand out to them
  • develop grit through repeated reading and discussion of a complex text

How To Use It

Advance Prep

  1. Decide the purpose for reading and ensure it aligns with your learning objectives.
  2. Identify a short, complex text that is interesting, meaningful, and appropriate for the ability level of your students. The text should have depth, rich language, and the potential for multiple interpretations.
  3. Consider the needs of your students and the purpose for reading as you determine how students will engage in the close reading process. For example, will students read in pairs or small groups? Are they reading to summarize, identify themes, compare and contrast, etc.
  4. Determine how students will interact with the text during each cycle of reading. A typical close reading process includes the following three cycles of reading:
    • First Reading: Students listen to the text read aloud as they follow along, or they read the text individually with the goal of understanding what the text says explicitly.
    • Second Reading: Students reread the text with the goal of interpreting the text and making inferences that align with the learning goals and objectives. Students analyze the text for meaning (e.g., examining the author’s purpose, craft and structure, use of words, etc.) Students typically read independently, however, based on the needs of your students, you may do a shared reading or have students read in pairs or small groups.
    • Third Reading: Students reread the text focusing on deeper meaning and making connections beyond the text. They make inferences, draw conclusions, and cite 
  5. Identify questions or tasks for students to complete as they interact with the text during each reading cycle.
  6. Plan to model close reading and how to annotate the text as they actively read during each cycle.
  7. Discussion is essential to close reading, so plan to debrief each reading and address students’ questions.
  8. Ensure that your plan includes a sufficient amount of time and scaffolds to meet the needs of your students. Close reading occurs over multiple days of instruction.

Implementation

  1. Have students preview the text to become familiar with its organization and content.
  2. First Reading: Read aloud or have students read the text independently, focusing on what the text says explicitly. Provide questions or tasks for students to complete as they read, such as highlighting unfamiliar words.
  3. Debrief the first reading to discuss the literal meaning of the text. Refer to the questions or tasks students were asked to complete during the first reading.
  4. Second Reading: Have students reread the text to analyze it for meaning and generate questions for discussion. Again, they should annotate the text based on the questions or tasks for reading.
  5. Debrief and discuss the second reading.
  6. Third Reading: Have students reread the text for deeper meaning and connections beyond the text. Ask them to cite evidence to support their conclusions and ideas.
  7. Engage students in a final discussion about the deeper meaning of the text.

 

Pros

  • Builds independent reading comprehension skills
  • Help to develop reading habits that are essential for success in college and careers
  • Fosters critical thinking skills
  • Improves vocabulary
  • Builds confidence in reading and interpreting complex texts
  • Standards-based approach to reading comprehension
  • Cross-curricular reading strategy

Cons

  • Requires explicit modeling and practice before students become independent
  • Students may be reluctant to read a text multiple times
  • Discussions may be overly teacher-centric if students do not have an opportunity to generate questions
  • May be difficult for struggling readers without scaffolds and supports
  • Can be a lengthy and tedious process that might cause students to lose focus and motivation

Culturally Responsive Application

Close reading aligns with culturally responsive literacy instruction because it provides an explicit framework for building reading comprehension, and it uses a gradual release model which supports diverse learners. Teachers can further leverage culturally responsive practices by selecting reading material that reflects and validates their students and their unique experiences. The natural progression of close reading provides opportunities for differentiation and scaffolding along Bloom’s taxonomy. It promotes critical thinking and high expectations for all students as they develop the ability to read and interpret complex texts independently.

Emerging English Language Support

Close-reading statement should be clear, concise, argumentative (but still provable) and specific. Refers to the specific devices/themes/concepts in the text that you will be analyzing in your paper, but also expresses what your reading of them is and why it’s important.

Students with Disabilities Support

Encourages students to examine a text deeply. It forces them to slow down and carefully examine a text, analyzing it beyond a basic summary. Read passage more than once, and search for complex meaning.

Subjects

1.1 Literature, 1.2 Informational texts, 1.3 Reading foundational skills, 1.4 Writing, 1.5 Speaking and listening, 1.6 Language, 1.7 Reading in science & technical subjects, 1.8 Reading in history & social studies, 1.9 Writing in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects, 2.1 K-8 mathematics, 2.3 High school algebra, 2.4 High school functions, 2.5 High school geometry, 2.6 High school statistics & probability, 3.1 Earth and space science, 3.2 Life science, 3.3 Physical science, 3.4 Engineering, technology, and application of science, 4.1 Civics, 4.2 Economics, 4.3 Geography, 4.4 History, 5.5 Impacts of computing

Why It Works

Research evidence suggests that repeated reading can improve fluency and comprehension (REF38), close reading can support student use of narrative or informational texts, in both print and digital environments (REF39), Close reading is suggested to be effective intervention for increase student attendance, self-perception and achievement (REF98)

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