Article Review: Close Reading

Article Review: Closing in on Close Reading

Presented to

Dr. Nancy Cherry

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Class

EDU 612 Literacy Across the Curriculum

Allyse Holcomb

Union University

April 20, 2017

Article Review: Close Reading

Allyse Holcomb
EDU 612
Article Review

Citation: Boyles, N . (2013, January). Closing in on Close Reading. We cant wait

until middle school to teach students to read closely. Three practices bring close
reading to the lower grades. Educational Leadership. 36-41.

Reading the Lines (Summarize the information or what you know now that you have
read the article. You may bullet your information here.)
Close reading should not wait until middle school. It should begin as soon as
kindergarten.
Close reading means reading to uncover layers of meaning that lead to deep
comprehension
Close analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity
directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, engaging
students to read and reread deliberately.
Enables students to reflect on the meaning of individual words and sentences
and the development of ideas over the course of the text
If reading closely is the most effective way to achieve deep comprehension,
then thats how we should teach students to read.
Responding personally to text doesnt necessarily mean deeper
comprehension
Use short texts
o Introducing many genres of text is recommended
o Using short text gives the opportunity to pass through a text more
times
Aim for independence
o Teach students to ask the questions
The goal is for students to take what they read from one text
and apply it to what they read in another text.
What is the author telling me here?
Are there any hard or important words?
What does the author want me to understand?
How does the author play with language to add meaning?
Focus on Observing and Analyzing
o First, see if students have noticed the details of the passage and can
recount the details in their own words
Article Review: Close Reading

o If students can paraphrase the basic content, how can they dig for its
deeper meaning?
o If we want our students to become close readers, we need to explicitly
teach how to approach a text to uncover its multiple layers of
meaning.

Reading Between the Lines (Explain the significance or what you understand now
that you have read the article.)

This text explained the importance of the process of teaching students to read
and understand text by looking closely when reading. Teaching students how
to read and how to become successful readers will be a skill that will only
grow stronger the more the students use these skills when reading, especially
when starting at such a young age. This information could be shown in whole
group but I believe students would find the most success when learning these
strategies in a small reading group type setting. This way the teacher can
model this was of thinking and also assess the students and if they are
comprehending the text being read but also if they are reading closely.

Reading Beyond the Lines (Relate the information to your classroom and/or describe
the impact this information will have on your teaching.)
As a Jr K teacher, I see first-hand the importance of beginning reading at a
young age but also the importance of comprehension. Having students learn
how to ask questions and which type of questions they should ask, helps
students to dive deeper and look more closely at whatever they happen to be
reading.
I plan to make a list of these questions to keep close when working and
reading with students. Some of these elements we use in the classroom now
but with this extended information, I feel as though I can only help my
students to become more prepared and more successful readers.