Reengage Your Readers with Digital Microstories
Too much close reading is boring, say Mike Fisher & Danielle Hardt, as students comb through fiction, constantly analyzing lots of text. Ask them to read and write digital microstories. They'll...
View ArticleClose Reading and What It Means for Media Literacy
Close reading isn't just for printed texts anymore. To help students meet Common Core standards related to close observation and effective questioning, media literacy consultant Frank Baker suggests...
View ArticleClose Reading of Advertising Promotes Critical Thinking
Advertising: it's everywhere. As media literacy educators work to engage students in conversations about commercial marketing, we have to consider the close reading of print and video ads. Frank Baker...
View ArticleHow to Close Read the Language of Film
When students are challenged to “close read” a movie, they must not only learn how to deconstruct the story, they must also understand the many techniques that are used by filmmakers to create the...
View Article10 Steps to Deeper Student Reading
What do your students need to succeed in close reading? Literacy consultant Nancy Boyles outlines 10 steps in this article, drawn from her recent Corwin book "Closer Reading." She also includes five...
View ArticleA Critical Look at the Close Reading Standard
ELA consultant Mike Fisher urges educators to not be distracted by the so-called "close reading" anchor standard in the Common Core. "Close reading is not a thing. It is not a skill. It is not a big...
View ArticleBeers/Probst: Fake News & Responsible Reading
In an era of fake news and "alternate facts" how do we teach kids to read responsibly? Respected literacy authors Kylene Beers and Robert Probst share three Big Questions that students can use to...
View ArticleTeacher Think Alouds Work in Every Subject
Teacher think alouds are great for grades 4-8, says author Molly Ness. "The goal is to provide less savvy readers with a play-by-play of what you – as a skilled reader – think while reading." The...
View ArticleUsing Lenses to Develop Close Reading Skills
Using an innovative idea from her district's teacher-sharing day, Katie Durkin and her 7th grade ELA and Social Studies teams implemented a "motifs and lenses" strategy to strengthen students' close...
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