I have finally finished reading the book :) (better late then never right?) I am ready to share my opinions on the book and how I think it will impact my students.
Monday: Overall thoughts on the book Would you recommend? Why?
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book. While I do know that research matters, I struggle to finish books that solely rely on just data. I was able to finish the book easily because it relied not just on what they know what works, but how we can best use it in the classroom with concrete steps and real world examples of lessons taught based on the different ways we can close read a text.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants their children to start to slowly read a text. Sometimes we often push a high quantity of texts on our children because we need them to be able to read more/longer passages for tests. But we never take the time to dissect the passages so that not only do they understand more, but they can get in the habit of understanding a passage better.
Monday: Overall thoughts on the book Would you recommend? Why?
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book. While I do know that research matters, I struggle to finish books that solely rely on just data. I was able to finish the book easily because it relied not just on what they know what works, but how we can best use it in the classroom with concrete steps and real world examples of lessons taught based on the different ways we can close read a text.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants their children to start to slowly read a text. Sometimes we often push a high quantity of texts on our children because we need them to be able to read more/longer passages for tests. But we never take the time to dissect the passages so that not only do they understand more, but they can get in the habit of understanding a passage better.
Tuesday: Favorite passage/quote
My favorite chapter from the book was Chapter 3: A Way with Words: A Study of Word Choice. I loved it because it really starts to show how we need to expose our children to not just what is being said, but how it is being said and what the choice of those words could mean. My "aha" moment came when the authors wrote: "One way to invite students to live looking for word choice is to study television advertising, those thirty-second spots that flood our screens, day after day. We can help students see that in all media, as well as in daily life, everyone chooses their words for a purpose." This section on page 35 starts to explain how you can teach understanding word choice through advertisements. It encourages you to not just look at the overall product, but to look at the words they use to describe the product. It wants you to stop and ask: How do those words influence you the viewer? How do they give us insight into the author.
My favorite chapter from the book was Chapter 3: A Way with Words: A Study of Word Choice. I loved it because it really starts to show how we need to expose our children to not just what is being said, but how it is being said and what the choice of those words could mean. My "aha" moment came when the authors wrote: "One way to invite students to live looking for word choice is to study television advertising, those thirty-second spots that flood our screens, day after day. We can help students see that in all media, as well as in daily life, everyone chooses their words for a purpose." This section on page 35 starts to explain how you can teach understanding word choice through advertisements. It encourages you to not just look at the overall product, but to look at the words they use to describe the product. It wants you to stop and ask: How do those words influence you the viewer? How do they give us insight into the author.
Wednesday: Didn’t care for didn’t understand
There wasn't much I didn't care for. The beginning was a little wordy, but it's how they planned to bring the reader in. It did take me a few pages to get into the groove of the book, but once I started to read the chapters that gave real world ways to bring in the different ways we can close read, I started to enjoy reading it more.
There wasn't much I didn't care for. The beginning was a little wordy, but it's how they planned to bring the reader in. It did take me a few pages to get into the groove of the book, but once I started to read the chapters that gave real world ways to bring in the different ways we can close read, I started to enjoy reading it more.
Thursday: How can you apply this to your every day practice next year?
This past school year we opened our eyes to close reading but never did any research or learning behind how to effectively close read. This year I plan to use a chunk of time (maybe my Friday centers) to really dive into close reading. I would like to say that EVERYDAY we will close read, but I gotta start somewhere ;). I hope that if we focus on a new close reading objective, that by the end of the year we will be close readers. I would also like to then make close reading happen during morning work time. I like to have something independent for my students to do daily so that as other children are arriving we are not wasting time. I was planning to create something similar to the Rise and Shine Binder's that Ms. Tunstall has, but I wanted to also include some time where students repeatedly read a passage for understanding, not just for fluency. Still just a thought though.
This past school year we opened our eyes to close reading but never did any research or learning behind how to effectively close read. This year I plan to use a chunk of time (maybe my Friday centers) to really dive into close reading. I would like to say that EVERYDAY we will close read, but I gotta start somewhere ;). I hope that if we focus on a new close reading objective, that by the end of the year we will be close readers. I would also like to then make close reading happen during morning work time. I like to have something independent for my students to do daily so that as other children are arriving we are not wasting time. I was planning to create something similar to the Rise and Shine Binder's that Ms. Tunstall has, but I wanted to also include some time where students repeatedly read a passage for understanding, not just for fluency. Still just a thought though.
Friday: Final Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed this book. As I said before I am not a huge fan of books that just rely on data, and don't really show you how to apply it- but this book really does a great job of showing you how you can introduce close reading to your students. I love the exact steps that are given to show students how to close read- and that the same steps can be used no matter what you are close reading for: word choice, point of view, text evidence, etc.
I am so glad that this book study has kicked off! I can't wait for next month when we read, The Together Teacher by Maia Heyck-Merin.
Best,
Overall I really enjoyed this book. As I said before I am not a huge fan of books that just rely on data, and don't really show you how to apply it- but this book really does a great job of showing you how you can introduce close reading to your students. I love the exact steps that are given to show students how to close read- and that the same steps can be used no matter what you are close reading for: word choice, point of view, text evidence, etc.
I am so glad that this book study has kicked off! I can't wait for next month when we read, The Together Teacher by Maia Heyck-Merin.
Best,
