LPK Model for Close Reading

Several years ago I worked on a strategy for my students to use when reading articles, journals, primary sources, etc. I had completely forgotten about it until today, when I was teaching a class on the Rule of Law and using the C3 Framework as a means for discussing lesson design. One of the really important concepts we discussed was close reading, and as we were sharing the tools we have successfully used in our own classrooms, I remembered my own strategy. It's one that I developed and piloted with my students, and then I lost in the chaos of daily life in the last two years. I'm disappointed in myself for not making it more of a priority and using it to help more students understand their reading, but I'm ready to pull it off the shelf, dust it off, and share it with you. Feedback and thoughts on how to #makeitbetter are, as always, greatly appreciated. If you are able to use it, I'd love to hear how it went with your students. 

LPK Model for Close Reading

Underline the title

• Look at the title and headings. Predict what the article is about

Identify the goal

• Why are you reading this piece?
• What do you hope/need to accomplish by reading the article? 
• Are there discussion questions?              
• Will you be taking a quiz?

Vocabulary

• Skim the article - Which words do you need to look up? 
• Can you infer their meaning from the reading?

Relate to your life/Make connections

• What similar experiences have you had? 
• Are there other things you have read/learned about that are similar or remind you of this topic/situation?
• Who could you ask about the topic that might be able to help you to gain a different perspective?

Summarize the article

• Who/what was it about? 
• What is the main idea?
• What is the purpose of the reading? 
• What happened in the reading?
• When did it happen? 
• Was there a conflict or problem? 
• How was it resolved or why wasn’t it resolved? 
• Underline the parts of the reading that correspond with your answers.

Critical Thinking

• Develop a critical thinking question about the reading – a type of question that does not have a “yes” or “no” answer. 
• How would you answer the question?

Partner Talk

• Compare your summary with with that of a partner
• Did you both come up with the same thing?
• What are the differences? 
• Can you come to an agreement? 
• Exchange critical thinking questions with your partner. 
• Compare your partner’s answer to your own.

Analysis/Concluding the Reading

• Answer the questions, take the quiz, have a group discussion
• Did you meet your goal? 
• How successful were you? 
• If yes, what was most helpful to you in meeting it?
• If no, what might have helped you meet your goal?

Rate Your Understanding

• How well did you feel like you understood your article/reading?
• Which strategies were most helpful to you?
• How can you apply them to future readings?
• What else might you have needed in order to better understand the reading?