Illuminating Comprehension and Close Reading

Grasping the meaning of a text enables K-8 students to appreciate its language and structure through close reading, which in turn leads to deeper comprehension. This book explains the relationship between comprehension and close reading and offers step-by-step guidelines for teaching both of these key elements of literacy.

Reproducible lessons are shared for eight engaging texts (excerpts from fiction, nonfiction, and poetry), complete with discussion tips, queries that scaffold comprehension, close reading activities, and connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The authors model lesson development and guide teachers in constructing their own lessons.

Texts for 10 additional lessons are provided in the Appendix. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print all 18 texts in a convenient 8½" x 11" size.

Table of Contents

I. The Hows and Whys of Comprehension and Close Reading

1. Overview and Rationale
2. A Sprint through Theory and Research: From Questioning the Author to the Present
3. Queries and the Role They Play in Discussion
4. Just the Gist: Developing Instruction for Basic Comprehension
5. Close Reading: Gist to Grist
6. A Closer Look at Close Reading: Modeling the Development of Close Reading Activities
7. Your Turn for a Narrative
8. Your Turn for an Informational Article
9. Poetry: A Treasure Chest of Close Reading
10. Younger Students: Last but Far from Least

Frequently Asked Questions

II. Text Lessons for Comprehension and Close Reading

• Lesson 1. Does an Elephant Never Forget?
• Lesson 2. Li Ju and the Magic Tapestry
• Lesson 3. Arachne, the Spinner
• Lesson 4. Tribute to a Dog
• Lesson 5. The Lady, or the Tiger?
• Lesson 6. The Hound of the Baskervilles
• Lesson 7. The Tell-Tale Heart
• Lesson 8. John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address

Appendix. Reproducible Texts from Part I

Common Core State Standards