eMysteries Toolkit

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. [Project Number: 2019-1-DE03-KA201-060127] 41 Develop text-dependent questions and accompanying activities While choosing the correct text is vital to the success of close reading in the classroom, it is equally as important that teachers prepare further resources to aid students in the development of their comprehension. Text-dependent questions can stimulate critical thinking and analysis of a passage. When implementing close reading activities for the first time in the classroom, text- dependent questions can help guide the thinking of students and help them to develop their critical thinking skills. Here are a couple of text-dependent questions on the excerpt above: Note the use of ‘desolate’ in connection to ‘house’ in the first line. Why is this house ‘desolate’? Make a list of words semantically connected to ‘cold’ (thin sheet of ice; slightly bluish tinge; ice princess; ice cold; chill; congealed). Do you think these uses reinforce his feelings? Which are his feelings? How do you know she is dead? Is it said explicitly? Which are the words from which you can infer it? Once you have prepared the materials for close reading, you must explain the process of how to do a close reading to your students. There are three steps involved in doing a close reading activity. Each step requires students to read the text and evaluate it in different ways. The first read or first step requires students to read the text with a pencil in hand. Step two relies on students reading the text again and looking for patterns in the passage. The final step and final read of the passage allows students to ask more questions and further explore the meaning behind the text. 3.2. First Read – Reading with a pencil in hand The idea of the first read is for the student to dive straight into the text, without building any background information. It is suggested that this is done individually, either reading aloud or reading quietly, but can also be done in pairs or small groups (Burke, 2020). The aim of the first read is to have students read slowly and deliberately, meaning they are absorbing the overall concept of the passage. Students