In honor of our upcoming book, Falling in Love with Close Reading: Lessons for Analyzing Texts–And Life, Kate Roberts (@teachkate) and I invite you to join us for a 7-week blogger community conversation about close reading practices and our classrooms.
Close Reading Blog-a-thon
For the next 7 weeks (Sept 2- Oct 18), every Monday on my blog and every Thursday on Kate’s we will post on topics related to close reading, including:
- What Close Reading Is Not (Or At Least Shouldn’t Be)
- The Five Corners of the Text: Personal Experience and Text-Based Close Reading
- Why Would Anyone Ever Want to Close Read Nonfiction?
- Writing About Close Reading
- Close Talking is as Important as Close Reading
- Close Reading Our Lives: Making Practices Relevant and Real
- and more!
Join In
We have lots to share, however there is so much to say, think, do, debate, problem solve, question, that we would like to invite you to JOIN our Blog-a-thon with your own posts.
Here’s how it works:
- Any time over the next 7-weeks write a post (or multiple posts) on the topic of close reading (could be in response to someone else’s post, raise a debate, answer a question, share your own experiences).
- Each time you post add this button to your page and be sure it links back here (the Contributors’ Page).
- Then comment on any post on my blog or Kate’s with a link to your own post so anyone can click back to it.
- We will also grab selected posts (URL links) from the comments to add to the Blog Contributors page**
- If you tweet your post include the hashtag #CloseReading
Violà! One stop shopping for great thinking on close reading!
We are excited to learn along with you!
Chris and Kate
**Disclaimer: All opinions, discussions, debates, posts, videos, and photos will be considered for the “contributor” page pending they are free from offensive language, libel, slander, whose main purpose is to sell a product, is a broken link, or otherwise deemed inappropriate by us or raised as such by members of the community. All decisions for posting these links on the “Contributors” page are made by us and are final, however we accept no responsibility for content or reliability of links that leave our respective blogs. The original poster is owner of their post and solely controls content , including any such content that may infringe upon copyright law.
[…] a book on close reading, I didn’t immediately dismiss it. A colleague directed me to Lehman’s blog-a-thon on close reading, and I was hooked as I read the insights shared by Lehman and Roberts. As the release date […]
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[…] Share your insights, we are closely reading close reading together! […]
Here is an explanation of my sophomore’s latest close reading experience using art (Turner’s “The Fighting Temeraire” and Constable’s “The Hay Wain”) as a way to better understand the cultural changes of the Industrial Revolution. Oh, and did I mention all this was to support our reading of Dicken’s ” Oliver Twist”? A picture says a thousand words!
http://usedbooksinclass.com/2013/10/03/close-reading-constables-the-hay-wain-and-turners-the-fighting-temeraire/
[…] Share your insights, we are closely reading close reading together! […]
[…] making this tool a part of my teaching life. I eagerly awaited the blogs that came out of the Close Reading Blog-a-Thon instigated by Christopher Lehman and Kate Roberts. Vicki Vinton’s blog is always filled with […]
I’ve been thinking quite a bit about informational text and close reading. Well, more than thinking…actually working with teachers of disciplines beyond ELA. I finally wrote a post on some of that work: http://partnerinedu.com/2013/09/26/close-reading-informational-text-repetition-classification/
Anxious to read what our discerning audience has to say!
[…] reading. We have been inspired and motivated by each and every blog post we have read during this blog-a-thon. We have looked for connections between the ideas presented and have loved that each piece […]
[…] Share your insights, we are closely reading close reading together! […]
[…] post #6 in our 7-week blog-a-thon on #closereading. We invite YOU to join in! Find more on how-to here. Several selected posts have already been linked to on the Contributors page and we are looking […]
[…] and even a post of only ten words will get others thinking. More on how to share your post here. Remember, an essential step is to post your link in the comments section on this blog or […]
[…] post in our 7-week blog-a-thon on #closereading. We invite YOU to join in! Find more on how-to here. Several selected posts have already been linked to on the Contributors page and we are looking […]
This post illustrates how students use evidence in order to support their interpretation of a short story. The author is H.H. Munro and the story is “The Interlopers”. The resulting discussion from my sophomores illustrates how their use of evidence challenges the author’s ambiguity, especially when students “hope” for a different conclusion.
http://usedbooksinclass.com/2013/09/09/close-reading-with-saki-and-the-sophomores/
Thanks for holding this #blog-a-thon on close reading. Interesting posts that are “real-classroom” helpful!
[…] post in our 7-week blog-a-thon on #closereading. We invite YOU to join in! Find more on how-to here. Several selected posts have already been linked to on the Contributors page and we are looking […]
Really like the ideas that Christopher and Kate shared in the podcast with Franki Sibberson. I agree that our K-2 instruction naturally focuses on close reading. Love the idea to start with songs and ads to hook kids in! Can’t wait for the new book and the rest of the blog posts!
I agree that close reading is not text dependent questions. We have to stay true to our beliefs that the goal of reading instruction is not to answer someone else’s quiz questions, but rather to develop readers who stop and think deeply about their own reading. It is, however, difficult for teachers to balance what they know is right for kids and the tasks of the test.
I am also relieved that literacy leaders such as Chris, Kylene Beers, Doug Fisher, etc. understand that schema/connections/transaction is what readers do and is not equivalent to getting off topic.
Thanks for this forum. Can’t wait to read the new book.
Thanks for encouraging the continuation of a very important conversation for teaching and learning. Check out my thinking on close reading at http://bit.ly/1fvgPYr
[…] Join in here! […]
Hi Chris,
I took you up on your “Close Reading Blog-a-thon” I added your button to my post:
“Think Like a Historian: Close Reading at the Museum http://bit.ly/ZhAGHr
Great ideas for sharing!,
Peter
[…] post in our 7-week blog-a-thon on #closereading. We invite YOU to join in! Find more on how-to here. Several selected posts will be linked to on the Contributors page. Let’s closely read the […]
Wow! What an incredible idea. I love it. Thank you.
Looking forward to sharing and learning more about #CloseReading
Rock on! I can’t wait to see your new book, Chris.
Kevin
This sounds GREAT!