Kid Friendly Guide: Close Reading witch Examples

A kid-friendly guide to close reading strategies, with examples that are easy for kids to understand:

Title: How to Use Close Reading Strategies to Understand Texts

Close reading is a technique that helps us understand a text by examining its details and figuring out what the author is trying to say. 

Here are some strategies you can use to practice close reading:

Read the text more than once: One way to understand a text better is to read it more than once. Each time you read it, you can focus on different parts and try to understand it better.

Example: If you're reading a story, you can read it once to understand the main plot, and then read it again to focus on the characters and their actions.

Marking the Text

"Marking the text" is a close reading strategy that involves actively engaging with a text by highlighting or underlining important information, taking notes, and annotating the margins. By marking the text, readers are able to focus their attention on key ideas, make connections between different parts of the text, and analyze the author's purpose and message.

Here are some common strategies for marking the text:

Underline or highlight important information: This can include key terms, important details, or evidence that supports the author's argument.

Circle or box unfamiliar words: If you come across a word that you don't know, circle it so that you can look it up later. You can also box words that you think are particularly important or interesting.

Take notes in the margins: Jot down your own thoughts, questions, and observations in the margins of the text. This can help you stay engaged with the material and clarify your understanding.

Use symbols or abbreviations: You can use symbols or abbreviations to quickly mark the text. For example, you might use an exclamation point to indicate something that surprises you, or an arrow to show a connection between two ideas.

Summarize main ideas: At the end of each paragraph or section, write a brief summary of the main ideas. This can help you stay focused and remember key information.

Marking the text is a powerful tool for close reading because it forces you to actively engage with the material and think critically about what you're reading. By taking the time to annotate and highlight important information, you'll be better able to understand the author's message and analyze the text in a deeper way.

When you find a word or phrase that seems important or interesting, circle it or underline it. This will help you remember it and come back to it later.

Example: If you're reading an article about animals, you can circle words like "habitat" or "predator" that you think are important for understanding the topic.

Ask questions: 

Asking questions can help you understand the text better. You can ask questions about the characters, the setting, the plot, or the author's purpose.

Example: If you're reading a poem, you can ask questions like "What is the poem about?" or "What do the words and phrases mean?"

Make connections: 

Try to connect what you're reading to your own life or to other things you've read. This can help you understand the text better and remember it more easily.

Example: If you're reading a story about a character who is trying to be brave, you can think about times when you've had to be brave in your own life.

Summarize: 

After you've read the text, try to summarize what happened or what the author was trying to say. This can help you remember it better and make sure you understood it correctly.

Example: If you're reading a news article, you can summarize the main points in a few sentences to help you remember what happened.

By using these close reading strategies, you can better understand texts and become a more confident and skilled reader.