What Is Close & Critical Reading?

The Fisher/Frey instructional strategies developed by Doug and Nancy include purposeful planning, collaborative conversations, and close and critical reading, with an emphasis on linking English language development to core English language arts content. Close & Critical Reading Collaborative mines the research, expertise, and experience of Doug and Nancy to offer professional development opportunities to educators based on their work at HSHMC.

• Gradual Release of Responsibility
• Close Reading and Text-Dependent Questions
• Access to Complex Texts
• Formative Assessments

Educators use 5 access points within a framework of gradual release of responsibility model:

1. Purpose and Modeling—Teachers think aloud to demonstrate critical thinking
2. Close and Scaffolded Reading Instruction—Teachers engage students with text-dependent questions, discussion prompts, and cues to help students consider an author’s ideas
3. Collaborative Conversations—Teachers orchestrate collaborative learning to facilitate students’ habit of exercising analytical thinking in the presence of their peers
4. An Independent Reading Staircase—Teachers artfully steer students toward increasingly more challenging reading material, with strategic bursts of instruction and peer discussions to foster metacognitive awareness
5. Performance—Teachers offer feedback and assessments that allow students to demonstrate understanding of text in authentic ways, and plan instruction based on student understanding

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