When pondering my objectives as an educator, I’m motivated by my desire to equip my students to confidently navigate the world and form their own thoughts. My ultimate aim is to mold them into self-reliant, assertive, and lifelong learners who eagerly embrace new experiences. However, optimizing the short classroom hours to reach this aspiration is challenging. But through the years, I’ve discovered that training students in close readings with this useful manual serves as a step towards this ambition.
Here are six compelling reasons to instruct students on mastering close readings:
- Close reading cultivates patience. In today’s world, children are frequently pushed to achieve things at breakneck speeds, from speed math drills to sports tryouts and even rushing to tie shoes before missing their bus. Nonetheless, there’s inherent worth in taking a moment to focus on finer details. Delving into the significance of a single word, imagery, or punctuation can be a refreshing change in our often frenetic surroundings.
- Close reading aids in exam preparation. I’m not an advocate of teaching solely for exams. However, what I’m equally against is letting my students be deceived by the clever tactics of standardized test designers. While I detest multiple-choice questions, my goal is to ensure my students feel self-assured when analyzing unfamiliar texts under time constraints. As they tackle these tests, I won’t be beside them. Hence, I aim to equip them as much as possible, especially since close readings are becoming a prevalent test requirement.
- Close reading emphasizes evidence-based reasoning. If there was a crucial period for students to be taught the importance of evidence-backed decision-making, it’s now. With the rise of misinformation and polarized political landscapes, it’s essential for students to ground their beliefs in factual data. Introducing them to rigorous reading and evidence analysis ensures they become discerning consumers of media and rhetoric.
- Close reading allows an appreciation of artistic mastery. Students often harbor mixed feelings towards masterpieces, particularly literature. They either believe authors don’t make deliberate choices or feel that exceptional writing is beyond their reach. However, by dissecting a text, they understand the intentional decisions behind each word and realize that profound art is a product of effort, not merely talent. Recognizing that seasoned writers painstakingly draft and revise to get their message across can inspire them to try their hand at it.
- Close reading encourages questioning. If students are conditioned to accept texts as they are or believe there’s only one valid interpretation (typically the teacher’s), they won’t evolve into independent analysts. The beauty of close reading is that it grants students the autonomy to discern a text’s essence independently. It propels them from a state of passivity to active engagement, helping them realize they can sometimes derive meanings without external input.
- Annotated texts are visually appealing! While this might sound light-hearted, there’s undeniable joy in witnessing a text adorned with colorful annotations. I’m typically not drawn to fancy stationeries, but using varied hues to highlight literary components is genuinely delightful. Observing the intertwining of concepts, annotations, and potential interpretations on a sheet fills me with pride in my vocation.
Mastering close reading requires consistent effort and repetition. However, it’s an invaluable skill that students should acquire. Armed with a structured guide, they’ll soon discover it’s more accessible than they anticipated.
