Reading Reconsidered A Whole Class Reading Approach

Due to the unexpected Covid 19 virus I've had some time (actually a lot of time) to reflect on how I approach the teaching reading in my Grade 4 Classroom.  You would think after having taught for 31 years I would have my program perfected.  NOT!  After going through the phases of whole language, centres, readers, Daily Five, and more structures and strategies that I don't have the time to mention I'm ready to try something new.  Reading Reconsidered by Doug Lemov presents convincing arguments and ideas for rigorous literacy instruction.

Many would argue...Whole Class instruction?  How will you meet individual student needs? 

Perhaps this excerpt is the most meaningful to me at this moment "Low readers in particular are often balkanized to reading only lower-level books.  Fed on a diet of only what's "accessible" to them--but which is often insufficient to prepare them for college--(or even high school) they are consigned to lower standards from the outset by our very efforts to help them." 

This approach consists of four main ideas.
1.  Read harder texts
2.  "Close read" texts rigorously and intentionally
3.  Read nonfiction more effectively
4.  Write more effectively in direct response to texts

Read Harder Texts

There is a suggestion that schools and teachers should work together to develop a common base of books that all students have read to deepen the conversations and connections that students are able to make.  Lemov discusses the importance of deliberate text selection that address the following difficulties for many readers:
1.  texts that consist of formal and dated diction and syntax for example, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter.
2.  texts that are nonlinear in the time sequencing of events for example, Holes by Louis Sachar
3.  texts that are told from different narrators' points of view for example, Wonder by R.J. Palacio
4.  texts with multiple interwoven plots
5.  texts that deliberately have gaps in meaning

By whole class reading and discussion of texts with these attributes students will be prepared for the autonomous reading of more complex texts in the future.

Close Reading

Sometimes you can start a Close Reading Lesson with writing to begin your reflection.  It allows you to see what the students are understanding and then you can end it with feedback and revision.  It is vital to have a clear focus for your lesson--something you want to help your students see.  Decide what idea you want the students to read a text for.  Examples are "arguing a line", finding a theme, an image, or the line they find the most interesting.

In a close reading lesson the entire class has a copy of the text excerpt that you are working on.  

Usually you have already read this to the students, perhaps the day before.  Then one idea is to send it home at the end of the day with targeted students that will read it aloud the next day.  When revisiting students can read it again in pairs, they can act it out, the teacher can pull a small group of struggling readers to read it together etc.   Finally you would proceed with the Close Reading Lesson.  While you ask deliberate questions to clarify meaning you are recording your notes all around the excerpt modelling for the students.   Meanwhile the students can copy what you are writing from the discussions.  (Eventually we work towards the students working more independently on the close reading notes)

Close reading lessons have four parts:

1.  Reading the text multiple times.

2.  Establishing meaning from questions derived from the text.

3.  Analysis of meaning from questions about the text

4.  Writing about insights.

This Chart summarizes questioning about the text to establish and analyze meaning during Close Reading Lessons.

That's a lot to take in for now!  Stay tuned for more from "Reading Reconsidered"!