Close Reading

Reading with a PLAN

for Understanding the

Material

What do you know about

active reading?

Objectives for today:

As a student, you will understand how to read informational text. You will:Learn a PLAN for analyzing a text.Practice using the PLAN to determine text

structure, purpose, audience, claims, and evidence.

Close Reading: What is it?

Reading carefully with a purposeUsing a PLAN or strategy to read and

understand the materialNOT this:

My first college textbooks looked just like this. I did not understand how to determine and show what was important and so I was just coloring. What a waste of time!

What is the PLAN? (Step 1)

P: ParagraphsFirst, number the

paragraphs in the passage.

This allows you to refer to the text quickly and easily.

What is the PLAN? (Step 2)

L: Draw Lines to CHUNK it into reasonable sections Draw lines between the

sections. Natural divisions for this text

occur before the subheadings.

For a shorter text, you might chunk one paragraph at a time.

What is the PLAN? (Step 3)

A: Annotate the text – underline and circle with a purpose.Put a BOX around words you do not

recognize or whose definition you do not know.

The second time you read: underline key details that are repeated.

What is the PLAN? (Step 3)

A: Annotate the text – decide what other items are important and mark them. Use (Parentheses) around phrases (or clauses) to help

you decode complex sentences. [bracket] cue words to help you decide the text

structure (i.e. first, most importantly, problem, solution, dates, times)

Double Underline for the Thesis Statement (main claim) and Topic Sentence of each chunk/section

What is the PLAN? (Step 4)

N: Notes – use your margins well.LEFT margin: Summarize each chunk.

What is the author saying?RIGHT margin:

Purpose: what is the author doing in the chunk?

Ask questions: what do you not understand?

What is the PLAN? (Step 4)

N: Notes – use your margins well.When you have made notes on each section,

summarize your notes at the bottom of the text.

What was the overall idea of the chunks (LEFT margin)?

What was the author’s overall purpose (RIGHT margin)?

Do you have any remaining questions?

What is the PLAN?

P: Paragraphs (number)L: Lines (chunk text)A: Annotate (use boxes, underlining,

brackets, and parentheses with a purpose)

N: Notes (left and right margins)