Ideas for using collaborative close reads in upper elementary to improve reading comprehension and fluency.
As students move into the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, their need for collaboration and sharing with each other tends to grow. Using collaborative close reads in upper elementary can be a fantastic way to support their reading comprehension and fluency while giving them the chance to work together.
Close reading is often viewed as an individual activity, but it doesn’t have to be.
Teachers can use close read resources, like those available in our store, to encourage students to collaborate while also practicing reading skills
What Does Collaborative Close Reading Look Like?
Collaborative close reading in upper elementary can take many forms.
Student Think-aloud
One approach is to have students read passages out loud together while verbalizing their use of close reading strategies. This could include labeling the text, answering questions, predicting, or other strategies they’ve learned.
Students can read paragraph by paragraph as a group, sharing their notes, or take turns reading different paragraphs.
Fluency Focused
Another method is to have the most fluent readers read the passage aloud first. Then, students with less fluency can read it in subsequent rounds. Hearing a more fluent reader can help those with less fluency understand and practice reading more smoothly.
Close reading as a strategy requires multiple readings of the same passage with a focus on different parts of the passage each read-through. Using this need to do multiple passes on the same passage actually plays into this group fluency practice really well.
Answering Questions as a Group
When using close read resources with questions and mystery pictures, the activity involves multiple steps and several questions.
The questions focus on different grade-level specific reading skills. These are skills all students in upper elementary need to practice, but students will be at different levels of understanding depending on the skill being practiced.
This is where collaboration can be really magical. By hearing their classmates work through these questions out loud, students who are less confident with that skill will get more opportunities to hear how others think through and process these types of questions.
Group Projects
For a group project involving collaborative close reading, have students work through the close read process out loud as a group and then tackle the associated questions.
Students should discuss each question, go back into the text to find evidence, and agree on answers based on their discussion.
After answering the questions, they can work on the mystery picture as the mystery picture is a form of self-checking within the resource. After completing the mystery picture, students will know how they did with the questions and be able to discuss anything that seems incorrect.
After completing the close reads, encourage students to complete additional activities related to the passage, such as writing assignments, projects involving research or creation, or presentations to the teacher explaining the passage and what they’ve learned.
Although close reading has traditionally been an individual activity, it doesn’t have to stay that way.
As students enter Upper Elementary, they are more social but may not always know how to work well in groups. Using Collaborative close reads in upper elementary provides students with a great opportunity for them to practice teamwork on school projects, develop specific skills, and achieve clear goals within a structured process.
To learn more and take a closer look at all the close read resources we have available, you can go to our website store. If you prefer, we also have these Close Reads with Mystery Pictures available in our Tpt store as well.
