Close Reading

DIVA reader intended for courses, presenting the continuity of close reading from New Criticism through poststructuralism./div

The kinship between modernism and close reading has long between taken for granted. But for that reason, it has also gone unexamined. As the archives, timeframes, and cultural contexts of global modernist studies proliferate, the field's rapport with close reading no longer appears self-evident or guaranteed--even though for countless students studying literary modernism still invariably means studying close reading. This authoritative collection of essays illuminates close reading's conceptual, institutional, and pedagogical genealogies as a means of examining its enduring potential. David James brings together a cast of world-renowned scholars to offer an account of some of the things we might otherwise know, and need to know, about the history of modernist theories of reading, before then providing a sense of how the futures for critical reading look different in light of the multiple ways in which modernism has been close read. Modernism and Close Reading responds to a contemporary climate of unprecedented reconstitution for the field: it takes stock of close reading's methodological possibilities in the wake of modernist studies' geographical, literary-historical, and interdisciplinary expansions; and it shows how the political, ethical, and aesthetic consequences of attending to matters of form complicate ideological preconceptions about the practice of formalism itself. By reassessing the intellectual commitments and institutional conditions that have shaped modernism in criticism as well as in the classroom, we are able to ask new questions about close reading that resonate across literary and cultural studies. Invigorating that critical venture, this volume enriches our vocabulary for addressing close reading's perpetual development and diversification.

This book has been replaced by Close Reading of Informational Sources, Second Edition, ISBN 978-1-4625-3945-1.

Many literacy experts believe close reading has the power to create strong, independent readers, but what does that really mean, and how does it work in the classroom? This book is your must-have guide to getting started! It provides step-by-step strategies and scaffolds for teaching close reading and improving students’ comprehension of complex texts. You will learn how to teach close reading based on text type, how to accelerate learning through increasingly challenging texts in both print and digital media, how to use close reading as a springboard for close talks and close writes, and how to support your students to move forward confidently with a repertoire of tools to employ as they navigate complex text in their daily lives. Special Features: A clear explanation of what text complexity really means and how it varies by student An easy-to-use framework for creating a close reading lesson that builds student reading stamina Scaffolds to help students at all ability levels to do a close reading Close reading strategies for a variety of literary and informational genres Ideas for strengthening reading through targeting comprehension skills, including analyzing text structure and evaluating arguments Suggestions for helping students read with increasing levels of rigor Techniques for how to lessen student technology distractions and dig deeper into digital text Guidelines and procedures for close talks – purposeful, focused discussions about text Procedures for close writes that vary based on genre and student ability level Recommendations to ensure students have the close reading skills to be effective readers in and out of the classroom In addition, each chapter includes study guide questions to help you apply the ideas in the book to your own classroom. With this practical book, you will have all the tools you need to make close reading a reality!

"Given the number of well-developed informational sources available to educators and students and the focus of departments of education on learning from these sources, there is so much potential for students to grow as critical consumers of information. Being able to read informational sources closely or watch and listen to sources carefully--across all content areas--creates a path for being able to understand the world better. More than ever before, close reading has become an essential approach with students and the informational sources they are attempting to understand. In addition to addressing instruction with traditional printed texts, I address how to teach for understanding of content in videos and infographics. I have also developed a three-phase plan for learning and a matching template for lesson planning"--

Unlock complex informational text through close reading. Use this book as a guide to teach close reading in a way that delves deeply into the text and aligns with the Common Core State Standards. Each standards-based lesson includes: Complex informational text that is grade-level appropriate; text-dependent questions designed to facilitate discussion and provide differentiation for all students; Thought Capturers to help students organize their ideas for writing; and constructed response prompts, exemplars, and rubrics. By design, these books are not printable from a reading device. To request a PDF of the reproducible pages, please contact customer service at 1-888-262-6135.

Find out how to teach young learners to be close readers and how to make close reading a habit of practice in the elementary classroom.

The Common Core State Standards have put close reading in the spotlight as never before. While middle and high school teachers want and need students to connect with, analyze, and learn from both literary and informational texts, many are unsure how to foster the skills students must have in order to develop deep and nuanced understanding of complicated content. Is there a process to follow? How is close reading different from shared reading and other common literacy practices? How do you prepare students to have their ability to analyze complex texts measured by high-stakes assessments? And how do you fit close reading instruction and experiences into an already crowded curriculum? * Text complexity and how to determine if a particular text is right for your learning purposes and your students. * The process and purpose of close reading, with an emphasis on its role in developing the 21st century thinking, speaking, and writing skills essential for academic communication and college and career readiness. * How to plan, teach, and manage close reading sessions across the academic disciplines, including the kinds of questions to ask, texts to use, and supports to provide. * How to assess close reading and help all students—regardless of linguistic, cultural, or academic background—connect deeply with what they read and derive meaning from complex texts. Equipping students with the tools and process of close reading sets them on the road to becoming analytical and critical thinkers—and empowered and independent learners. In this comprehensive resource, you’ll find everything you need to start their journey.