Table of Contents

Reading Closely in K–2: Guidelines for Getting Started
1. Rely on high-quality picture books that you read aloud.
2. Teach an initial close reading lesson to build content knowledge.
3. Teach close reading follow-up lessons to build skills.
4. Assess close reading appropriately with formative assessments.
5. Teach close reading using units so students can make connections between texts.
6. Teach close reading using learning pathways that show students how to learn.
Teaching and Assessing Students’ Comprehension
The Twelve Skills in Focus
How the Assessments Are Embedded Across Books and Units
How the Assessments Are Embedded in Weekly Instruction
During Reading Success: It’s in the Cards
After Reading Success: Framing Students’ Thinking
How to Evaluate Students’ Written Responses
Rubric for Evaluating Reader Response Frames
Standards: Putting the Assessment Tools to Work
The Reproducibles: Active Reader Cards and Reader Response Frames
Student-Friendly Forms for Teaching and Assessing the Standards
The Units and Lessons
Learning Pathway: How to Study a Character Trait
Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Show Kindness to Others?
Fable to Begin the Unit: The Wind and the Sun
Close Reading Lessons for Melissa Parkington’s Beautiful, Beautiful Hair
Close Reading Lessons for Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale From Kenya
Close Reading Lessons for Each Kindness
Close Reading Lessons for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
Learning Pathway: How to Study an Animal
Unit Focus: How Are Animals the Same? How Are Animals Different?
Fable to Begin the Unit: The Hare and the Tortoise
Close Reading Lessons for Panda Kindergarten
Close Reading Lessons for Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems
Close Reading Lessons for Surprising Sharks
Close Reading Lessons for Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
Learning Pathway: How to Study a Person
Unit Focus: How Can You Make a Difference—Even if You’re a Kid?
Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Mouse
Close Reading Lessons for Blizzard
Close Reading Lessons for The Wednesday Surprise
Close Reading Lessons for Rosie Revere, Engineer
Close Reading Lessons for The Story of Ruby Bridges
Learning Pathway: How to Study a Place
Unit Focus: What Is Special About This Place?
Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Dolphin
Close Reading Lessons for Antarctica
Close Reading Lessons for Fernando’s Gift
Close Reading Lessons for Creatures of the Desert World
Close Reading Lessons for America the Beautiful: Together We Stand
Learning Pathway: How to Study a Theme
Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Make Good Choices?
Fable to Begin the Unit: The Two Frogs
Close Reading Lessons for Fireflies
Close Reading Lessons for Those Shoes
Close Reading Lessons for Maddi’s Fridge
Close Reading Lessons for The Empty Pot
References

About the Author

A former classroom teacher and professor of reading, Nancy Boyles is a literacy consultant, who provides workshops, model lessons, and curriculum support to districts and organizations nationally, regionally, and locally. Over the course of her career she has received numerous awards , including New England Reading Association’s Outstanding Literacy Leader Award and Connecticut Reading Association’s Celebrate Literacy Award for exemplary service.

Reviews

"Everywhere you turn, headlines call for students to read with depth and rigor. But few teachers get the support they need to bring this about for 25+ students each and every school day. Nancy Boyles' new book gives them that 'how-to, ' and it's remarkable. She provides seven units of study [plus] a valuable planning guide that shows them how to design their own units with a depth that motivates and engages students. Once teachers ace the planning process, the day-to-day implementation of the units becomes easier. I predict that this book will become teachers' favorite resource for unit design." --LAURA ROBB, Education Consultant and Author of Vocabulary Is Comprehension

"In her new book, Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, Nancy Boyles offers teachers what they ask for and need the most--practical, useable strategies and examples in the form of actual close reading lessons--32 to be exact--along with 23 videos accessible through QR codes that show how to implement these close reading lessons and related strategies. What a treasure trove of modeling and guidance for teachers! As a former elementary educator myself, how I wish I had had this powerful resource to help me become a better teacher of reading."--LARRY AINSWORTH, Education Consultant and Coauthor of Common Formative Assessments 2.0 (01/02/2015)

"Lessons and Units for Closer Reading reassures teachers like me to the same degree that it instructs. It is no accident that Nancy uses words like coherence, connections, and synergy in her opening pages. Through her unit and lesson design, she brings that coherence to us in incremental, practical ways--ways that new and experienced teachers can easily absorb into their teaching practices. Nancy is giving us what we want specific lesson ideas based on a solid framework that uses children's literature, but it is actually what we need, too."--TANNY MCGREGOR, Education Consultant and Author of Comprehension Connections (01/02/2015)

"Now you understand what close reading is, but you need the nitty-gritty. Presto, Nancy Boyles delivers eight stellar units of study. Her lessons are practical, the text-dependent questions for all those marvelous picture books save you a few weeks of arduous planning. But what I admire most of all? The gallery of student work she's gathered, with her commentary about strengths, needs, next steps. It's a rare window into another practitioner's thinking about what constitutes higher-level reading and writing work. Everybody's talking about it, but no one has done such a good job showing it until now."--LESLIE BLAUMAN, Teacher, Education Consultant, and Author of The Common Core Companion: Booster Lessons, Grades 3-5

"The Common Core Standards call for students to be able to read texts closely to make meaning and for students to build knowledge systematically (CCSS for ELA, p. 33, 2010). This book provides a vivid picture of instruction that supports this kind of learning. Boyles' text speaks to the teacher who has been grappling with how to develop units and strategically integrate close reading lessons, providing clarity and inspiration. This is a must-have text for educators and will remain a go-to resource in my professional library for many years to come."--SUNDAY CUMMINS, Ph.D., Literacy Consultant and Author of Close Reading of Informational Texts (01/02/2015)