Week 7 - A Helpful Chart for Close Reading

The reading this week reminded me of a chart I saw in a General Education Literature PowerPoint (below) that seemed relevant and also student- and literature-oriented. Sometimes it seems that students approach any book they have to read for class very formally, as if even their thoughts or notes in the margins have to be formalized instead of genuine, in-the-moment reactions. I think giving examples of more informal ways to interact with texts (the way they would interact with reading for pleasure or even TV) could be highly useful as part of showing students your own note-taking and responding process. I often find in the classroom that I would like students to bring in their own experiences or connect the readings to outside cultural objects but perhaps because they're in a classroom, it's difficult for them to relate the texts or characters to their own lives in a deeper way.

Circle/Square/Underline
WORD CHOICE or “DICTION”
That seems interesting, important, or surprising


Buda-Pesth seems a wonderful place.

Note patterns and repetition
“Money imagery”
“Again, money”
“More coins”

Predictions
“OHMGGG they are going to get together”
“Will he die?”
“She’s gonna be evil.”

Comment on moments when the plot or dynamics seem to shift.
“KEY MOMENT”
“This is when he realizes his mistake”

Comment on or ask questions about characters’ motivations or behavior
“Why does he do this? Does he actually NOT like his wife?”
“;laksdjf;alskdfjals;kdfjas?!?!?!?! WHATTT??? She can’t just do that!!!”
“Weird. Doesn’t seem like his character.”

References/allusions to other books, movies, cultural phenomena, politics 
“This must be a reference to Hitler”
“the snake--GARDEN OF EDEN”
“allusion to Shakespeare’s Hamlet?”
“this technology sounds like Facebook?”

Words/references you don’t understand or need to look up
“Check on this?”
“look up”
*Often, I do look it up and then write the definition or reference in the margin

Questions or comments you’d like to say in class
“Ask in class: what does this MEAN?”
“This is probably a symbol for family—bring up in class tom.”

Connotations or “makes me think of”
“Like that moment in Dragon Tales…”
“Makes me think of mom’s sneezing”
“gives me the heebie jeebies”

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