Raising the Level of Close Reading, Writing About Reading, and

Evidence-Based ArgumentPresented by

Mary Ehrenworth“teach kids

to see the text, so the text can release the secrets”

Standards Standard 1- say back what the text says and suggests Standard 2- determine central idea, theme, morals, lessons Standard 3- connect parts of the text

* display anchor charts for above standards Standard 4- analyze figurative language

*underline words related to struggle Standard 5- analyze structural choices, movement of time, flashbacks,

flashforward * I Survived books are a great tool (KindleFires) * noticing language use (parts of speech) Standard 6- discern perspective and point of view (how does the character

feel compared to how you would feel, focus just on what is in the text and not what YOU think)

* Comprehension Toolkit (What the author thinks is important vs. what I think is important) Standard 7- compare and contrast multiple versions or different media,

argue a different view (give the students an argument to listen for and gather evidence during teacher read aloud)

*use commercials, lyrics, movie clips Standard 8- analyze overall argument

*be willing to adjust thinking based on new evidence Standard 9- compare and contrast how texts develop, similar themes, ideas

Close Reading

What does it look like?Close reading teaches readers to unlock

the meaning in text.

Activity Let’s look at the poem, “To a daughter leaving

home” When reading poem, think about these

questions: What kind of mother is she? What are some elements that are being

symbolized in the poem?

Reading with a Question in MindWhat do you expect to think and pay

attention to when reading a story?Most kids will say (character and setting)You can expand their thinking by requiring

them to look for what is unique, specific, and different about each character and setting.

Important that they have access to the text for shared (to track own thinking)

During read aloud give them the same task but require them to listen and discuss with partner

To A Daughter Leaving Home

When I taught youat eight to ridea bicycle, loping alongbeside youas you wobbled awayon two round wheels,my own mouth roundingin surprise when you pulledahead down the curvedpath of the park,I kept waitingfor the thudof your crash as Isprinted to catch up,while you grewsmaller, more breakablewith distance,pumping, pumpingfor your life, screamingwith laughter,the hair flappingbehind you like ahandkerchief wavinggoodbye. 

Linda Pastan

What does the text say and suggest?

Read AloudBe dramatic“Reading is thinking”Helps kids with memoryEncourage the kids to have their independent reading

book in hand during read aloud to make connectionsAllows all kids to think at a higher level“no longer is a read aloud where the teacher is

modeling all the thinking, it is more of the students doing the thinking”

Make a connection before read aloud. Tell the students WHY you chose that text.

Shared TextAnchor text= anchor chartsGrade leveled textSociably and culturally relevantChoose digital text and print text

Room arrangementIncrease partner talkTime their talk and keep it moving3 is no longer the magic number

A BC D

Annotation

Why is this important?With annotation

we’re able to provide evidence of the meaning of text through writing.

Questions to ask:“What’s

complicated/fascinating about the text?”

“What challenges are there?”

“What parts of this work would pay off?”

Track Your ThinkingWhat particular challenges does this text pose?What reading work do these challenges suggest?What’s intriguing? What is worth thinking about?Identify various crafts and structures in nonfiction.

Beware of predictions…they take you out of the

story and the moment!Students should be able to trace more than 1

thing at a time.

Important vs. InterestingRefer to Comprehension Toolkit for lessonsMost stories begin quickly-much faster than

our mindImportant to reread the beginning of a

story/chaptersList of characters-add as you learn about the

characterSetting-how does the weather affect the

characters and/or events?

Types of ResponsesOn-the-RunOn-DemandOn-Performance

Reading Journal Entries.pdf

On-the-RunRead for 30 minutes (build stamina on

reading level)Write for 5 minutesUse sticky notesUse maps, timelines, graphics

On-Demand-ResponseBased on a given question/promptOn paper/journalMust be supported with evidenceMust be proven

Craft moves (literary persuassive devices)

Effects on the Reader (stir of emotions)

• Embedded anecdotes

• Foreshadowing• Exclamatory

grammar• Violent word

choice• Chronological

structure• Pacing• Vivid images• Repetitive

structure

Explicit (most odvious)

Implicit (hidden)

Sharks are dangerous

Humans are resilient

On-Performance-ResponseInformational reading Argumentative writingProvide students with a general question or

topic and have students argue

Gallery WalkHave students open reading response

notebooks to their favorite entry

Have students walk around and look at the different entries for ideas

F & P Clusters/BandsGHIJ KLM NOPQ RST UVW XYZ14,16,18 20,24,28 30,34,38 40,44 44 (40-

50)50-60

Poppleton Magic Tree House

Amber Brown

Bridge to Teribithia

The Lightning Thief

Hunger Games

Books follow a pattern

Definitions given within the text

Tools needed to define unknown words

Levels are based on length, vocabulary, structure, content

Text Variety and SelectionLyricsMemoirsCommercialsPoetryNonfiction

When text becomes too difficult, have student stop and go to an easier book on the same topic and THEN return to the difficult text.

The Giving TreeStudents gather evidence for both sides during read aloud

Weak vs. Strong

Allow students to share and debate their findings

Follow discussion with a flash draft (students write about their argument and defend their position)

In this activity, we are going to examine the idea of annotation as it relates to Digital Text.Before watching this video, I would like you to

first make annotations of what you think this song is about by only examining the verse before the chorus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAg3uMlNyHA

Activity“Wings” By: Ryan Lewis

How do I monitor progress?Use checklists instead of rubrics

“Nintendo Effect”…how do I get to the next level?

thereadingandwritingproject.comAssessments available

Resources for student reading notebooksDigital copies of nonfiction text sets