We’ve been talking about HOW to teach close reading. But WHAT close reading tools do you need in your classroom to effectively teach a close reading lesson?
Get Your Close Reading Tools Together?
When I first started teaching close reading to my students, it was a disaster. I didn’t know how to take these higher level skills and adapt them to something six year olds would understand.
But I wasn’t very organized. Show of hands how many of you get so annoyed with yourself when you have to stop your flow of your lesson to go find something you need?
Extra irritating if you KNOW you put it over here, but you can’t find it now.
So let me help you get organized so you can avoid this. I’m going to tell you the things that I use for my close reading lessons. Then, I’ll want you to make a designated close reading tub with everything in it, so you can grab it and go.
Chances are, you have all of these in your classroom already. But if you don’t, here’s a link to an amazon list specifically for close reading supplies. It’s an affiliate link, so Amazon might send me a few pennies this month.
But if thousands of you buy through that link, they might take me up in space. You never know.
Finding Close Reading Passages
The first thing you’ll need is quality reading passages. Finding the right reading passages is hard, so this blog might help you. Or, if you want to customize your passages for close reading, here’s where to start.
Organization-wise, you can keep these in binders, or if your brain works better with a filing cabinet system, keep your passages in file folders so you can grab them and make copies.
You’ll need a copy for yourself to display on your screen, and your students need a copy each.
Grab Some Clipboards
Each student needs a clipboard also. There will be times that you’ll want your kiddos at their desks, but you’ll also want them up and moving around.
When you have your students work on the floor or with partners, have them grab a clipboard for their passages and close reading activities. That way, they can sit on the floor and write.
You’ll find the more they move around and change their position throughout the day, the less I need to find time for brain breaks.
Do You Hide Your Markers Away? Bring Them Out For Close Reading.
I was picky about letting my students use markers. It was too much of a hassle, and I just overall preferred them to use crayons on a daily basis.
But, I wanted special occasions to be… well… special for six year olds, so since I didn’t let them use markers or gel pens, when I brought them out specifically for close reading it was a hit!
When you bring out something you don’t use all the time, it will build that hype that you’ll want during close reading.
Dry Erase Boards Are A Must
Using dry erase boards and markers are super easy to use. They’re easy to clean, and you’ll save so much paper.
I have accumulated several sets over the years, the larger ones are great for writing new vocabulary sentences, you can use the smaller ones, but since you’re wanting more than one word answers, I’d go with the larger ones.
Did you know that you can go to a big box hardware store and buy a sheet of white board? They’ll even cut it for you. Then, you need to sand down any sharp edges and you have a set of dry erase boards. So if you fancy a little project, that might save you some money, rather than buying a class set.
Chart Paper And The Best Markers Ever
During the week, you’ll be making notes or lists as a class. Especially if you use an interactive writing lesson like this for your close reading topic.
You’ll need a large chart paper at your easel or on your board. If chart paper isn’t provided by your school, a large piece of construction paper would work too. It just needs to be bigger than your average piece of printer paper.
So if you have chart paper, you’ll need chart markers. The Sharpie chart markers are my favorite. Since your students will be the ones writing, you’ll want to avoid a marker with a chisel tip.
Also, look for a marker tip that won’t push into the marker itself. The Sharpie chart markers also last all year. Teachers are picky about their markers, and I’m passionate about these.
Using Transitions During Close Reading
The last thing I would suggest getting, but it’s not necessary to have a physical object… is some kind of transition sound or signal.
This will be used to let your students know that their discussion time with their partner is done, or it’s time to move from their desks to the floor, or reverse.
I use a portable doorbell and it works pretty well, you can adjust the sounds so your students know that this sound means that time is up. One end plugs in the wall, and you can have the doorbell remote nearby.
I ended up using velcro and sticking it to the end of my elmo cart. That way I could carry it around if I needed to, but I also didn’t lose it when I set it down.
That is… as long as I remembered to stick it back to the cart…
Organizing Your Close Reading Tools
Do you have a designated spot in your classroom that you can use for your close reading supplies? Remember, you don’t need a whole lot, but the most important part is keeping it all in one place.
Keeping all of your supplies in a tub or a basket helps you from needing to hunt through a cabinet and losing your student’s focus. You might want to keep this in a place where your kiddos have easy access to your close reading tools.
This FREE guide will teach you the close reading strategies that will make a close read lesson successful.
As an elementary teacher, it’s hard to adapt close reading successfully for younger readers. I didn’t have a manual when I began, but I wish I had an easier start. So I wanted to give teachers like you a head start when you’re teaching close reading to beginning readers.
With this free guide, you’ll know what to do to keep your kiddos engaged all week.
You will learn what supplies and materials you need for a successful close reading lesson. You’ll learn what to do on each day during your week of close reading. This was another struggle for me.
I read through the text passage with my students, NOW WHAT?
You’ll have vocabulary ideas to boost your students’ mastery of words and phrases, imagine how great it would be to have time for vocabulary instruction! I’ll show you how it works!
Comprehension is hard for younger readers. They learn to decode words and now they have to understand what everything together means too?
With how much we have to teach in a week, the idea of “Fun Fridays” went out the window years ago. At least it did for me. I didn’t have time to do the fun crafts and activities that first-graders love and frankly deserve to do! I always thought this was so sad, and I wanted to bring it back somehow. So I devoted the last day of close reading to a fun extension activity about the topic of our close reading passage. I’ll show you how to find time for a fun activity, where your students are still learning in the FREE guide for close reading!
I also added the best classroom management tips I used during our close reading week, so you can actually teach your students, rather than correcting unwanted behavior or trying to keep your kiddos attention.
And best of all? I’ve added two close reading passages WITH lesson plans to get you started.
When you download the FREE Guide For Teaching Close Reading To Younger Readers, you’ll learn:
- How to teach your students to annotate.
- Which supplies you need and which ones you don’t!
- What you need to know about the best reading passages for close reading.
- What to teach on each day of a close reading week.
- How to improve your student’s vocabulary with close reading.
- Techniques to improve your student’s reading comprehension skills.
- Extension activities that take the topic of your close reading passage further.
- Classroom management during close reading, including partner activities and effective transitions.
You’ll also get two close reading text passages with TWO WEEKS of lesson plans!
