A Closer Look at Close Reading

This workshop equips educators with a practical understanding of close reading, a critical component of literacy instruction. Participants explore the rationale behind close reading and its connection to real-world literacy demands. The session breaks down the three-phase approach—initial comprehension, analytical focus, and interpretative synthesis—while modeling how to implement text-dependent questioning and annotation strategies. Teachers also engage in collaborative lesson planning, ensuring they leave with actionable strategies tailored to their classroom texts and grade-level standards.

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• Students' difficulty in navigating complex texts and building deep comprehension
  
  
• Lack of structured approaches for teaching evidence-based reading and discussion
  
  
• Gaps in connecting classroom reading practices with state standards and real-world applications

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1. Structured Reading Process
   Participants learn how to guide students through the three phases of close reading:
   
   
   
   • First Read for gist and unfamiliar words
     
     
   • Second Read for text structure, vocabulary, and author's craft
     
     
   • Third Read for deeper understanding, synthesis, and inferencing.
     
     
2. Effective Use of Text-Dependent Questions
   Teachers gain strategies for creating and using rigorous, standards-aligned questions that require students to cite textual evidence and engage in higher-order thinking.
   
   

       3. Annotation and Scaffolding Techniques
          Educators are trained to model and scaffold annotation skills with symbols and targeted purposes, supporting vocabulary development and comprehension, as well           as to explore instructional scaffolds to make close reading accessible to all learners.