Close Reading Strategies & Reading Comprehension

Abstract

One large area of reading struggle for many students is reading comprehension. With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards comes an increase in complex texts in classrooms and the skills needed to successfully be able to read and comprehend such texts. Students need to be able to peel back the layers of the complex texts they are responsible for reading so they can reach the underlying meaning. In other words, students are being asked to close read. Due to close readings emphasis on breaking down texts to reach meaning, teachers are teaching some close reading strategies to their students. This study focuses on the close reading strategy of text coding. Text coding allows students to track their thinking and leave notes, or codes, as they read a given text. With teachers being responsible for helping students to become college and career ready, they will need strategies to pull from to help their students successfully comprehend complex texts. This study takes a look at how effective the strategy of text coding is in doing so.