Artifact #4
Close Reading Strategies Professional Development Practicum
ED 919 Reading Practicum
Overview
As of recent, Close Reading Strategies have become the "newest" topic of discussion within the literacy world. It's not truly the "newest" strategy, but rather has come back to the forefront of literacy instruction. Many middle and secondary schools have been using this strategy for years, having students reread text for specific information to answer comprehension and analytical questions. But research has recently come to realize that introducing Close Reading Strategies within Elementary grades can positively help students with their literacy skills. Close Reading is when a reader rereads a piece of literature with the specific purpose of examining why the author has made the choices that he or she did. Students are in essence asked to slow down and reflect on the whys of the passage. With the shift to the Common Core and it's corresponding literacy standards, Close Reading Strategies supplement the "new" standards and way learning.
Competency 13: Methods to support classroom teachers and tutors in the improvement of reading instruction, including consultation techniques and professional development
The best part of this research is that these strategies can be tailored for the classroom that they are implemented within as well as for the situation in which they are used. The goal of Close Reading is that students can understand the passage, explain it to another individual, and ultimately answer and ask questions based on the passage by using it's information as evidence.