Reading with a

Pencil

Strategies for Close Reading

From

The P

leasu

res

of

Readin

g in

an A

ge o

f

Dis

tract

ion, by

Ala

n Jaco

bs

Wherever and whatever I

read, I have to have a pencil,

not a pen—preferably a stub

of a pencil so I can get close

to the words, underline well-

turned sentences, brilliant or

stupid ideas, interesting

words and bits of information,

and write short or elaborate

comments in the margins, put

question marks, check marks

and other private notations

next to paragraphs that only I

—and sometimes not even I—

can later decipher,” p. 57.

Com

ponents

of

Clo

se R

eadin

g

As defined in the CCSS

Literacy Standards… Literal reading

“determine what the

text explicitly states”Inferential reading “make logical inferences from [the

text]”

Act

ions

ass

oci

ate

d w

ith

close

readin

g

The CCSS-Literacy espouses ACTIVE reading:

Draw conclusionsCompile textual evidence

Determine central ideas

Analyze development of

central ideasInterpret words or phrasesAnalyze text structure

Assess point of view

Kelly

Galla

gher’

s D

eeper

Readin

g

Focusing the readerFirst Draft reading“Lay of the Land”What the text “explicitly says”

Second (and third) Draft

reading(s)Analysis of various aspects of

the text Teachers or students set

purposeCollaborationMetaphorical Response

Reflective Response

Focu

sing t

he

Reader

Before reading activities

that prepare the reader

for the text

Examples: Anticipation Guide, Possible Sentences, Story Impressions, Knowledge Rating Chart

Firs

t D

raft

re

adin

g

Reading to get the gist

of the passage.Framing RoutineSelective Highlighting

Structured Note TakingProposition/Support Outline

Seco

nd D

raft

Readin

g

Involves re-reading at

the sentence-level to

deepen understanding.Structured Note TakingProposition/Support Outline

JigsawReading GuidesReQuest

Colla

bora

tion Discussion fosters

deeper comprehension.

Structured discussion

even more so.

Meta

phori

cal

resp

onse Tying the meaning made

to an image deepens

comprehension and leaves the reader with a

powerful impression to

remember.

Reflect

ive

resp

onse

Students fossilize their

thinking as they record

in writing what they have understood.

Exit slipsDouble-Entry Journals