Up Close and Personal With Close Reading

Close reading is such a buzz word these days so I have been reading a couple of books to extend my professional learning. First I read, Falling in Love with Close Reading: Lessons for Analyzing Texts—and Life by Christopher Lehman. Great book with lots of ideas for close reading.  Next, I read Notice and Note: Strategiesfor Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst.  I teach a 2/3 high ability classroom and felt like Notice and Note would be perfect for my kiddos. Finally, I put all of that professional knowledge to work with great TpT products by teachers such as Primary Polka Dots and 24/7 Teacher who both sell awesome close reading activities. Click on the images below to find these products in their store!

Next, I put together Close Reading Bags, which were simply a gallon-size baggie with a red, green, and blue Crayola pencil inside. I love Primary Polka Dots monthly passages because they can be cut and used as half sheets of paper. I throw three or four half-sheet passages along with the pencils in the baggies and pass them out to the kiddos.  I also prepare a poster of each passage I am going to use to model with my students. Then we get down and dirty with our close reading skills! Here's a picture of Lindsey Flood's product at work. (This is my poster I used for modeling!) The kids are active and we are hitting so many reading skills with just one short passage.  As soon as we get this down, I will start to introduce the signposts from Notice and Note!!

Did I mention that I had to buy new Crayola Pencils from Amazon and try out the new one day shipping? You get 240 pencils for $28. It's a great deal and my teacher next door and I divided this box up!  I ordered at 9:00 am and this box was sitting at my door by 5:00 pm. Love my Amazon Prime!!