CLOSE READING in MATH

At the beginning of each school year I introduce my students to the word, metacognition (thinking about your thinking). I am constantly reminding the students to use their metacognition when they are reading. Close reading helps teachers see their students' metacognition come alive! 

What is close reading?

Close reading is a thoughtful, critical analysis of a text that focuses on significant details or patterns in order to develop a deep, precise understanding of the text's form, craft, meanings, etc.  ~Beth Burke, NBCT

During a close read of a text the students will read the text several times for different purposes; each time gaining a deeper understanding of the text. Throughout each read the students annotate the text for a variety of purposes. This helps me understand what they have comprehended and at what level.

Recently, I have wondered how I can get my students to become better math readers. I have students who are extremely passionate about reading, but struggle with comprehending math problems. In the past when students would take their math pre-assessment, they would answer the questions they knew and put questions marks next to problems they did not know how to solve. As the teacher this really did not help me plan for my lessons. What did my students really not know? Was it the vocabulary? Was it not knowing which operation to use to solve the problem? Or was it how to compute the problem? Therefore, I started to have my students annotate their math pre-assessments through a close reading. This helped me to see their metacognition. The students circle or underline unfamiliar words and phrases that they might not know, box important clues about what operations to perform, and/or propose questions about the problem.  By having them do this I realize what parts of the problem they understand and what components need to be addressed.  Not only does it help me better plan for instruction, but it better prepares the students for the concepts they will soon be learning.