Close reading is a key strategy for comprehending the complex texts required by the Common Core. Sandra Athans and Denise Devine unpack this strategy, breaking it down into manageable components and sharing their classroom-tested lessons and teaching tools that guide students step-by-step through close reading grade-level texts. Athans and Devine demonstrate how to:

• select appropriate text for instruction
• develop high-level questions to guide student thinking
• teach students to use evidence to support their responses
• facilitate discussion to further deepen student comprehension
• scaffold struggling readers