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] 44 Third Read: Further exploration and asking questions The third read through permits students to take a final look at the text. This time students are expected to reflect on the notes they made during the first read and consider any conclusions they reached during the second read. Students are expected to note any further evidence in the text that may support or challenge their existing theories. It is at this point that the deep critical analysis takes place. Students are urged to ask questions about the patterns they noticed, focusing on how the author has done this and why they have chosen to include those traits (Burke, n/d). While read one and two focus directly at the text, the third read and final step aims to have students look at the wider picture. Students are encouraged to do further research about the author, the meaning behind the text, and find any links to other similar passages. After completing the final read through of the text, students are expected to be able to draw a conclusion based on their critical analysis of the text. They should be able to present strong evidence-based arguments or discussion points about the text, illustrating their comprehension – both at literal and inferential levels. 3.3. Scaffolding Close Reading of Mystery Detective Stories What is scaffolding of close reading activities? The purpose of close reading is to assist students to read and critically evaluate complex passages. However, not all students will be able to accomplish this immediately. Some students will need extra support and guidance to be able to achieve the goals of close reading activities. Scaffolding is often used to help teach students of different competencies the practice of close reading. In the scaffolding model, the teacher initially provides a considerable amount of support to their students. As students gain more experience and confidence in close reading methods, the teacher puts more responsibility in the hands of the students. The idea behind scaffolding is to give students the right amount of support they need at the time they need it (Burke, 2020). Scaffolding successfully requires regular monitoring of the progress of students, and it may be the case that some students become more comfortable with self-directed analysis than