Check out this post featuring Calvin Smith Elementary teacher implementing the Close Reading process and tools from this year’s Third Grade Professional Development.
The students in Mrs. Harker’s Third Grade class use the close reading process to compare and contrast two texts, “The House on Maple Street” and “A River Ran Wild.” Students read and used a double bubble organizer to compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in both stories on a similar topic, how communities are formed and change over time. The students are placed in groups to collaborate and discuss key details that they discover in each text. Through gradual release, the teacher then guides and supports her class with their graphic organizer and uses it to create their compare/contrast paragraph. Her class has been practicing using “Receiving the Piece” editing and now feel comfortable using collaborative conversations as they read, write, and share their learning with one another.