As a teacher, you need to make realistic groupings with standards - if you have to reach to make it fit, then your students will too. Reading instruction, especially when integrated, needs to be intentional and direct - take the guess work out! RI.5.3 is a difficult standard for some students to understand, because it deals with interactions in informational text, and that's a foreign concept for them. They know characters interact with each other in literature, but to tell them that informational text has the same sort of idea blows their minds, which is why instruction needs to be intentional. I paired RI.5.3 with 5.L.2.2, because students can see and verbalize those interactions within a food chain, pyramid, or web. Remember - make it intentional.
2. Create the assessment.
This may be a controversial step for some, because there is a school of thought that says simply completing a close read is an assessment, but I disagree (and you can disagree with me too, it's okay.) I teach high-risk students, the majority of my students meet more than one at-risk factor, and require intentional practice, which is why my close reads always have an assessment. I want them to take their knowledge from annotation and questioning and produce something that shows me they understand the connections. An assessment for a close read that is integrated with content areas will be content centered. What does that mean? That means their assessment will focus on their content knowledge, rather than a reading skill, but any good teacher will tell you that in order for them to complete the assessment, they will have had to demonstrate the reading skill or skills within the close read to begin with.
Examples of assessments: digital presentations, skits, brochures, etc.
3. Choose a text.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP (to me.) If the text isn't good, anything after that won't be either.
Take your time choosing a text - don't spend days, but spend a quality amount of time choosing a quality text. If the text doesn't lend itself to higher level questions (inferences, interactions, etc.), then it shouldn't be used for a close read. Students (and teachers too) need to realize that a close reading raises the bar for the reader, so the bar should be raised for the text.
Things to consider: Text should be grade level. Yes, let me say it again, text should be grade level. Students who are struggling readers can reach assistance throughout the close read, but the text should be grade level (especially when the content areas are integrated.) Text should be short, but long. The text should be short enough that it's not overwhelming or seems like an endless task, but long enough that there are at least 3 reads and the opportunity for multiple questions, including higher order questions.
*Preface: 99% of all close read lessons begin the same.
Lesson 1: Teacher reads aloud and students identify vocabulary they do not know and work in small groups to determine meaning with your assistance.
Lesson 2: Students reread in small groups and annotate text. Text annotation should be one of your first lessons of the year.
Lessons 3 - x: These are the close read lessons with questions, graphic organizers, etc. Close reads can have innumerable lessons, but I recommend never doing more than 4 or 5.
The steps that follow are preparing for lessons 3 - x.
4. ID problem vocabulary that may need instruction, create 3 levels of questioning, and find a graphic organizer.
This is the meat of the close read, and probably the planning step that will take the longest. This is the step that creates the progression for the students.
You should identify any vocabulary that would require direct instruction - the only reason you should do this is if the meaning cannot be inferred from any portion of the text. This is rare, so just use your judgement, and give your students credit for being problem solvers.
Depending on how many close reads you are having your students do, your questions should progress in difficulty and higher order thinking skills. Three levels of questioning is beneficial to you at planning, but the students won't be able to categorize them, because you'll lump together when assigning them. Level one questions are recall or right there in the text questions - requires very little thought. Level two questions are inferences, conclusions, connections to world/self/text - require background knowledge. Level three questions are analysis, evaluation, and creation - these require text support and the student's own thought. All types should be present in every close read.
Also, try to find a graphic organizer to help students with vocabulary or a reading skill (inferences.) By having a graphic organizer, modifications for struggling students will be easy to execute. It will make your job easier.
5. Check questions, activities, and assessment with standard.
At the end of your planning, check the flow and consistency. Make sure all standards are addressed in some form or fashion, make sure the close read is aligned to the assessment and the final expectations. This is making it intentional. Students shouldn't have to guess at what you want them to do.
That's it, ladies and gentlemen - that's a close read. It's not scary. It's not a beast. It's a valuable, higher order thinking reading comprehension strategy/framework that allows students to see how reading skills integrate into real life. It makes intentional connections through actual text work that is completed by the student.
I hope you will try close reading this year and allow students to explore text multiple times - quality over quantity!
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