Using Different 2nd Grade Close Reading Activities

By Frank Murray


Supposing you are looking forward to taking the comprehension of your students to a whole new level in any subject, then close reading is the strategy for you. It is an easy and simple method to take learners through multiple readings to boost their comprehension and encourage metacognition. 2nd grade close reading activities are aimed at teaching learners how to read and read and reread purposely.

Teachers can guide their students for a few trials. Given enough time, students are bound to do well on their own and will not need much assistance. Proof that the skill has been mastered is proper understanding of the content that is before them. Patience is important when developing this skill as it may take some time.

Individuals teaching this skill must first master how it is done. There is no point in teaching what you are not aware of. This enables one to have a clue of the different questions that may be asked and the proper direction to give. Demonstrating how this is done is a good way to ensure the skill sticks to the minds of those listening and watching.

The purpose of such skills is to help students read increasingly complex texts over time. While choosing texts to use with the students, think about your aim behind every text. Look for comprehensions that raise authentic questions and could be interpreted differently based on the knowledge of a learner. Ensure that you occasionally assign stretch texts, which are meant to be challenging for a student to read independently, and may require some days of study.

As students start learning this skill, they should first read through the whole text. They may have to read through once or twice when they feel the need to understand something specific. This may be the overall theme that the writer is trying to put across. It may not be easy to identify this during the first read. Doing it again is better when an individual has more focus.

A question session must be set aside to see if the students are okay at different points. Those who have properly understood may state something specific from what they have read without necessarily rereading through the whole thing. Such students have shown good understanding. Students should feel free to discuss on related topics that they have previously heard of. If there is no proper comprehension, teachers need to re-strategize.

Encourage exploratory discussions among students between reads. Students discuss what they read, the phrases they marked up, and about the literary element or focus skill. The strategy; think, pair, share does work well with close discussions.

Involving students using these methods is a healthy practice. The atmosphere of the classroom is likely to change due to this. Students will take a better interest in reading, more so because they will receive guidance for the questions that they have. This is essential in leading them towards the right direction and an even better understanding of what they have gone through.




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