Hello. My name is Stephanie McConachie.

And I'll be talking with you today about the process and benefits of slowing down. Discussions of which complex and challenging texts. we'll first define and, or, elaborate on aspects of close and careful reading, then discuss the payoffs for learners of slowing down. We'll then consider the instructional components of a close reading, and finally, you'll apply these ideas to your own, discussion situations. Well what do we mean by slow down reading of a text? There is now an understanding that all students need to have a regular supply of complex, informational, and literally text across their school day and close reading is one important aspect of instruction for those complex and challenging text. A "slowed down" reading of a text allows a close and careful reading, and it's important that the text is worthwhile, and sufficiently challenging, that makes it worth that close and careful reading. There can be different purposes. Literal and inferential is where you might start, just, well, what's the gist, what's it about? Who are the characters, you know, where's this, what's the setting. you know, what's the main argument, the main claim in this argument. it can be interpretive meaning well, what, what do you, how do you interpret these ideas, how do you delve into certain ideas and what's an interpretation that you might develop or could be highly analytic where you're thinking about, what are the components of this argument, or how might I, how was that argument put together by the author? It also could have different grain sizes, from fine grained, local comprehension of words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs like tracing the use of one word and how its meaning is

elaborated on or even changes through the course of a text. Larger grained, where you're considering the total argument, major claims, ideas, concepts and how they're developed and how that whole text is structured. Also making connections across multiple texts. At different grain sizes. How might this author have dealt with this issue, given now, given what you've now read about both of these authors. So if you can think back to the video you viewed about Cheryl Parshall. And how she taught students to determine whether Sonny's Blues, the short story written by James Baldwin, reflects the existential philosophy as described in, in one of [UNKNOWN] essays. Parshall presented students with a challenging task. And she devised ways to slow down their reading. Students had to first grasp the literal before they moved into an, that interpretation and analysis. And students covered if you remember, different grain sizes of reading in coming up with answers to the reading challenge in front of them. So if you haven't already viewed the video both of Cheryl Parshall talking about how her students did. With, their text discussions and their readings, or the actual example of a student discussion. Now would be a good time to view that video. So we did a little bit on what close reading is, and slowing down. Now, why slow down? So one of the biggest reasons is that slowing down can put challenging and complex texts in front of every student. Because it slows down supports, without dummying down, every student reading those kinds of texts. And for many students, reading challenging and complex texts has not been part of their daily curriculum. And, a very important thing to keep in mind is that research tells us, that

answering questions about complex text is the single best predictor of college success. In reading between the lines, a major study by the American College Testing Service, on tens of thousands of students. Being able to answer those questions about complex text even more than answering questions with critical thinking. Answering questions about complex text was the single best predictor of college success. What's another reason why? Slowing down assists students to understand the ideas of complex text. That close and careful reading. It also, if you think about this, conceptual understanding of big ideas occurs in rounds of learning experiences. It's not just one time reading and suddenly you have, you're able to have several discussions of big ideas in a challenging and complex text. It requires rounds of learning experiences. And many times those rounds can bring into instruction the routines and structures that guide comprehension of one text, and then through that comprehension of one text you're supporting building skills toward figuring out how to read other texts. As it is, you know, it's never about reading only one text. The structures and routines of this kind of reading, writing, thinking and talking can become gradually internalized to become habits, and so their habits of reading, writing, thinking, and talking. When students are working on their own in their encounters with complex text. So it's about developing habits of reading any text. Just as in the video of Cheryl Parshall students and their discussion, students will be learning how to listen to each other's ideas, how to support claims, draw, and textual evidence to back up their analysis. Identify and resolve textual difficulties.

Reconsider their own positions. And revisit a text with fresh eyes and a new question. You don't have to slow down the reading of a challenging and complex text every time. With effective feedback and individual reflection. Students will transfer what they learn about handling text difficulties and abstract and remote ideas to new texts. And I think, because of the issue of covering materials and always the issue of, of the amount of time spent on something in classrooms Thinking about that by slowing down strategically with certain texts, you are supporting students developing, the skills towards independence, and those habits that we've talked about earlier. So what are instructional components of close and careful reading of a text? Let's look at text, task and talk. So let's consider the text. It has to be complex and rich enough to warrant levels of questions from literal to analytic. If students can read a text independently, and without those levels of questions. It's not complex and rich enough for them, in terms of their being required to engage in that kind of work. They would just be bored with it. So you might want to think about, are, am I providing complex and rich enough text for students? It has to be rich enough to warrant multiple interpretations of big ideas. because those big ideas is what the open ended rich questions will be based upon. And revisiting for new purposes. The task bridges from the text to the talk. As with talk moves, the task asks for the what. And that what could be about getting the gist, or considering vocabulary. Ideas, implications of the ideas. Or how the text is written, its craft. And the how. Well, what are you asking students to do? Will they be writing notebook entries of what they do and don't understand? As Cheryl Parshal students did with the complex, [INAUDIBLE] text.

Will they work in pairs, in small groups, to discuss complex text. How will they grapple with what they're working to understand, and not be in a position by the how you give them, to display what they all ready know. The talk, the talk will have those important talk moves and the kind of improvising that we want teachers to do on their feet as they're listening carefully to what students are saying. So they can press for the kinds of reasoning to assist students toward those fuller understanding of complex text. So, what are the takeaways from this short mini lecture? There are several different purposes and grain sizes for close reading. Slowing down strategically to read and discuss text has payoffs in developing habits of reading other texts. Remember, you don't have to do this with every text. That tasks bridge the text to the talk. They're very important, and they need to include the what, and the how. And all readers, whether novice or expert, achieve fuller comprehension and understanding. By slowing down strategically, now we'd like you to think about how to apply these ideas to your teaching or learning situation, by asking you a few questions here: what would it mean for you to slow down, to rev up text discussions? Would the slowiing down be worth your learners' time? Would it be worth instructional time? Thanks very much for being part of this mini lecture. And, I can't wait to hear some of your ideas, as you think about how you will be slowing down strategically the reading of complex and challenging text.