Seems like the higher-ups are saying the phrase “close reading” so often these days that, if this were a drinking game, I’d be dead from alcohol poisoning. It’s kind of like when you way the word “watermelon” enough times in a row and the word stops having any connection to a melon you can eat and instead becomes just a pattern of sounds.
The problem isn’t the actual skill of close reading. The problem is that it’s become another buzzword, thereby (ironically) stripping the skill of any relevance in the minds of teachers. Good job, education gurus. Good job.
Close reading shouldn’t be a separate lesson. You shouldn’t be in the middle of reading a novel. Stop reading. Switch to some article about the history of lawnmowers, close read it, then return to the “real” work. If that’s what you’re doing, these kids will NEVER want to close read. They’ll be doomed to a life of half-assed skimming, never quite discerning inferences or main ideas. Sad.
Of course, getting my juniors and seniors to actually read the stuff I assign them (hell, even to LISTEN as I read it TO them) is like fistfight with a raccoon. Like, I swear I could tell a kid “Read three pages in The Great Gatsby, or I’ll cut off your pinkie-toe” and they’d be like “No more flip flops for me!” This has forced me to give them reading check quizzes as a means of blackmailing them into learning.
I used to give them the usual multiple-choice quizzes, but they are SO EASY TO CHEAT ON. And they don’t really make the kids think too hard. This year, I’ve been reevaluating how I write those reading check quizzes, placing an emphasis on rereading and interpreting key passages from the novel. I’m mixing up the way I ask questions, too: multiple choice, fill-in-the blank, short answer. Lots and lots of direct quotes from the novel and working to understand how they shape the main idea. And close reading. Lots of close reading that is an extension of what we’re already doing.
The kids are improving their understanding of the difference between reading for pleasure and reading with the purpose of analysis in mind. I’ve been totally gobsmacked by how many juniors and seniors didn’t know that reading a novel for an ELA class isn’t the same as reading the latest Colleen Hoover book for fun. Oops. Guess I forgot to mention that freshman and sophomore year–course correction in progress.
To this end, check out my Animal Farm chapter reading quizzes up now on TpT. Teaching Partner Claire is currently using them with her low-level ELA1 class and has said that the variety of question types and embedded close reading are keeping the kids more engaged than a steady diet of multiple-choice-only quizzes. As always, I designed these with accessibility in mind. Read-along audio is included for all quizzes, and there are regular and thoughtfully-modified versions for every chapter.
Keywords: Reading Check Quizzes, Chapter-by-Chapter Assessments, Flexible Assessment Options, Writing Assignments for Learning, Modified Quiz Versions, SPED Accommodations, ELL Modifications, Teacher Time-Saver, Clean Student Copies, Engaging Quiz Formats, Critical Thinking Assessments, Cheating Deterrent, Lexend Font Usage, Audio Accommodations, YouTube Read-Aloud Quizzes, Inclusive Learning Environment, Accountability in Education, Student Motivation Boost, Reduced Teacher Workload, Comprehensive Novel Understanding, george orwell, animal farm, close reading, daily reading practice, text evidence
