Isabel L. Beck & Cheryl A. Sandora 
Illuminating Comprehension and Close Reading [EPUB ebook] 

Grasping the meaning of a text enables K-8 students to appreciate its language and structure through close reading, which in turn leads to deeper comprehension. This book explains the relationship between comprehension and close reading and offers step-by-step guidelines for teaching both of these key elements of literacy. Reproducible lessons are shared for eight engaging texts (excerpts from fiction, nonfiction, and poetry), complete with discussion tips, queries that scaffold comprehension, close reading activities, and connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The authors model lesson development and guide teachers in constructing their own lessons. Texts for 10 additional lessons are provided in the Appendix. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print all 18 texts in a convenient 8 1/2′ x 11′ size.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

I. The Hows and Whys of Comprehension and Close Reading

1. Overview and Rationale

2. A Sprint through Theory and Research: From Questioning the Author to the Present

3. Queries and the Role They Play in Discussion

4. Just the Gist: Developing Instruction for Basic Comprehension

5. Close Reading: Gist to Grist

6. A Closer Look at Close Reading: Modeling the Development of Close Reading Activities 

7. Your Turn for a Narrative

8. Your Turn for an Informational Article

9. Poetry: A Treasure Chest of Close Reading

10. Younger Students: Last but Far from Least

Frequently Asked Questions

II. Text Lessons for Comprehension and Close Reading

Lesson 1. Does an Elephant Never Forget?

Lesson 2. Li Ju and the Magic Tapestry

Lesson 3. Arachne, the Spinner

Lesson 4. Tribute to a Dog

Lesson 5. The Lady, or the Tiger?

Lesson 6. The Hound of the Baskervilles

Lesson 7. The Tell-Tale Heart

Lesson 8.John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address

Appendix. Reproducible Texts from Part One

Common Core State Standards

Über den Autor

Isabel L. Beck, Ph D, is Professor Emerita of Education at the University of Pittsburgh. She has conducted extensive research and published widely on decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension. Dr. Beck is a recipient of the Oscar S. Causey Award from the Literacy Research Association, the William S. Gray Citation of Merit from the International Literacy Association, and the Contributing Researcher Award from the American Federation of Teachers. She was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame and is an elected member of the National Academy of Education. Her books include
Bringing Words to Life, Second Edition;
Creating Robust Vocabulary;
Illuminating Comprehension and Close Reading;
Making Sense of Phonics, Third Edition; and
Robust Comprehension Instruction with Questioning the Author.

Cheryl Sandora, Ph D, is a Research Associate at the Learning Research and Development Center and a Fellow at the Institute for Learning, both at the University of Pittsburgh. Her work has included classroom-based research on comprehension and vocabulary instruction, the development of instructional materials for English/Language Arts classrooms, and professional development for districts around the country. She has taught in public, urban, and rural school districts and has served on the faculties of several universities.