Engaging All Learners

Engaging All Learners
Studio Day April 2019

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Literacy Turnaround Training at Cahaba

The Cahaba Elementary Literacy Committee (Joy Wright, Allie Aldrich, and Jana Feild) presented turnaround training about close reading strategies for their staff Monday afternoon.  Close reading is a strategy that Doug Lemov, in his book, Reading Reconsidered, encourages teachers in all grade levels to use.  Lemov describes close reading as:

"... the methodical breaking down of the language and structure of a complex passage to establish and analyze its meaning.  Teaching students to do it requires layered reading and asking sequenced, text-dependent questions; and it should end whenever possible with mastery expressed through writing."

Close reading ensures that students are able to glean specific and comprehensive understanding from even very difficult texts.  It is a tool that allows students to read text that is over their heads - one of the fundamental experiences of attending (or preparing for) college.  And, close reading develops "language sense."  It develops in students an "ear" for word, syntax, rhythm, and structure that is applicable across texts.



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