Close Read Lesson

These slides demonstrate my proficiency in the instruction of academic language in the classroom. The slides were used during a lesson on how to write a close reading response. Before teaching this lesson, students wrote a close reading response as a pre-assessment. Students wrote brief, high-level, 1-2 sentence responses to the prompt. I then used these slides to walk the class through the different levels at which we can engage with literature, taking us from “breaking the surface” with basic understanding to a deeper exploration involving inferences, connections, consideration of the author’s intent, and expressing personal opinions.

The lesson, centered around the experience of a runaway slave, sparked engaging discussions. We collectively wrote a response how we “used to” write - short, to the point, just answer the question and move on – followed by a collaborative effort to create a more comprehensive response. We discussed ideas of how they can organize their thoughts before beginning to write. Some students used post-it notes while others used whiteboards.  I then provided the checklist for them to use while writing. The difference between the first and second rounds of responses was incredible.

The following day, I had one student share her writing. The first read was just to listen. Then I had her read a second time, but this time, I put up our checklist and had students check off when they heard her accomplish items on the list. It was a great way to have the whole class actively listening as well as celebrating the students' writing accomplishments. That day, I had them do another close reading response after listening to the student read her writing and had them evaluate their own writing. In just 3 short days, the growth was astounding, and they were so proud of themselves.

In the future, I would take the resource to the next step by providing students with a laminated checklist they could keep in their writing notebook and use for future close reads. I found that in subsequent prompts, students would ask me to post the checklist to remind them what to include. It is a tool that could be used throughout the year if I had it available to them. I would also teach more on the planning part of the close read. Many students spent so much time organizing their thoughts that they had little time to write. While I love that students are asking for more time to engage with the lesson, I also hope to support them with time management skills so they don’t feel pressured.