A introduction to developing close reading instructional sequences using text-dependent questions in a highly structured way that parallels the organization of the CCSS Reading Anchor Standards.

1. Crafting Successful
Close Reading
Experiences
Using Text-Dependent
Questions
https://sites.google.com/site/firststreetsccs
spathways/home
Joseph Espinosa, NBCT
Title III Instructional Coach, First Street EL
September 10, 2013

2. ―At each grade level, 80
to 90% of the Reading
Standards require textdependent analysis.‖Leadership and Learning
Center

3. Grounding
 Experience with Close Reading and Text
Dependent Questions-Share and Then Place a
Sticky Note with a Number 1-5
 What do you think are the implications of close
analysis in our daily lives?

4. Circle Map
What are the Implications
Of Close Analysis
In Our Daily Lives?

5. Learning Outcomes
 Become familiar with instructional shifts for CCSS ELA
 Examine Process of Close Reading including planning
considerations
 Examine the characteristics of text-dependent questions
and a possible progression tied to the Common Core
Reading Standards
 Participate in two close readings of a challenging text
with each reading aligned to a different purpose.
 Become familiar with the steps in planning close reading
and a close reading template.

6. Common Core ELA
Instructional Shifts

7. Shifts in ELA/Literacy
Shift 1
Balancing Informational
& Literary Text
Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts.
Shift 2
Knowledge in the Disciplines
Students build knowledge about the world (domains/ content
areas) through TEXT rather than the teacher or activities
Shift 3
Staircase of Complexity
Students read the central, grade appropriate text around which
instruction is centered. Teachers are patient, create more time
and space and support in the curriculum for close reading.
Shift 4
Text-based Answers
Students engage in rich and rigorous evidence based
conversations about text.
Shift 5
Writing from Sources
Writing emphasizes use of evidence from sources to inform or
make an argument.
Shift 6
Academic Vocabulary
Students constantly build the transferable vocabulary they
need to access grade level complex texts. This can be done
effectively by spiraling like content in increasingly complex
texts.
Source: engageny.org

8. Common Core ELA Instructional Shift
#2:Close Reading grounded in evidence
from text
 ―The reading standards focus on students’ ability
to read carefully and grasp
information, arguments, ideas and details based
on text evidence. Students should be able to
answer a range of text-dependent
questions, questions in which the answers
require inferences based on careful attention to
the text. ―
Source: Student Achievement
Partners

9. Organizational Elements for
Common Core Reading Standards
 Key Ideas and Details (RL and RI Standards 1-3)-
What Does the Text Say?
 Craft and Structure (RL and RI Standards 4-6)-How
Does the Text Say It?
 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas (RL and RI
Standards 7-9) (What Does the Text Mean? What is
its Value? How Does the Text Connect to Other
Texts?)
 Range and Level of Text Complexity (RL and RI
Standard 10) How Challenging and Varied is the
Text?

10.  Is careful, purposeful reading and
 Looks at the structure and flow of
the text to understand what the
author had to say
 Uses text-dependent questions
to move students deeper into the
text
 Makes students think and
understand what they read
Close Reading
rereading of a text

11. 
Planning for Close
Reading
Step 1: Selecting the right main selections (Basal
Anthology) picture books, passage, or chapters is
important. Challenging texts which can include
picture books, chapters, magazine articles, and
poems. What key insights or ideas do you want
them to get from this text?
 Step 2: Read the text before hand and reread it
again to determine what might cause the text to be
challenging for students ie. sentence
structure, language demands, knowledge
demands, levels of meaning. Use Qualitative
Factors of Text Complexity from Common Core ELA
in Timothy Shanahan
Source:a PLC at Work Grades K-2 or 3-5.
Close Reading Presentation
modified by J. Espinosa

12. Designing TextDependent
Questions

13. What Are Text-Dependent
Questions
 Used in the process of close reading
 Evidence in answering these questions must come from
the text
 Includes literal/inferential questions but also includes
analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
 They focus on word, sentence, and paragraph
interpretation and analysis but also big
ideas, themes, and events
 Provided for particularly challenging portions of the text
so students can enhance their reading proficiency at first
with teacher guidance but eventually on their own.
Adapted from Douglas Fisher
and Nancy Frey Presentation

14. Progression of
Text-dependent Questions
Whole
Across texts
Opinions, Arguments,
Inter-textual
Connections
Inferences
Entire text
Segments
Author’s Purpose
Paragraph
Vocab & Text Structure
Sentence
Key Details
Standards
8&9
3&7
6
4&5
2
Word
General Understandings
Part
Graphic: Doug Fisher and Nancy
Frey
1

15. 
Develop Text-Dependent
Questions for Your
Books to return to the text?
Do the questions require the reader
 Do the questions require the reader to use evidence to
support his or her ideas or claims?
 Do the questions move from text-explicit to text-implicit
knowledge? Should be a coherent sequence of questions
that lead to deeper understanding and connections
 Are there questions that require the reader to
analyze, evaluate, and create?
Adapted from Douglas Fisher and
Nancy Frey Presentation

16. Planning for First
Reading
 When planning the analysis of the text, developing
your own questions through multiple readings is
helpful.
 After that you can also determine how many re-
readings to use and how to order your questions.
Source: Timothy Shanahan
Close Reading Presentation
modified by J. Espinosa

17. First Close Reading: (Key Ideas &
Details: What Does the Text Say?)
 Questions should help guide students to think about
the most important elements of the text (key ideas
and details)
 Stories are about significant, meaningful conflicts
(between man and nature, with others, and with
oneself)
 Human nature and human motivation are central to
the action and the meaning
 Questions should help clarify confusions (for the
first reading, confusions about what the text says)
Source: Timothy Shanahan
Close Reading Presentation
modified by J. Espinosa

18. ―Fireflies‖-Owl City

19. Fireflies! (Lexile 630L CCSS Stretch Band:
Grade 2-3 ) by Julie Brinckloe
 Before the first close
reading with the class
depending on majority
of the students’ ability
to read at a pace of
normal talk I either:
 Have the class read
the story silently first
 OR
 Read the selection
chorally with the
class first straight
through.

20. Planning Considerations & Materials


Note: I used RL Standards 5.1-5.9 to Guide my
Design of Text Dependent Questions along with
what could be gleaned explicitly and implicitly
from the text
Qualitative Factors for Text Complexity

Has complex or abstract level of meaning

Figurative language includes imagery and
similes

Purpose is implied

First Person Narrative

Standard English

Syntax: Simple and compound sentences. Uses
prepositional phrases often.

Text Structure: Events of the story move from
one small moment to the next.

Vocabulary has mostly familiar vocabulary with a
text support for most unfamiliar words

Some distance between reader’s experience and
those in the text

Requires some building of background
knowledge
 Materials:
 Great, Challenging
Text
 Common Core ELA
Standards
 Guide to Creating
Text Dependent
Questions
 Text-Dependent
Design Template

21. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
On a summer evening I looked up from
dinner, through the open window to the
backyard.

What do you notice about
the setting in the
beginning?
It was growing dark. My treehouse was a
black shape in the tree and I wouldn’t go
up there now.

Why does the boy decide
he wouldn’t want to go up
to his treehouse now?

What does the boy want?
How do you know?
But something flickered there, a moment—
I looked, and it was gone. It flickered
again, over near the fence. Fireflies! ―Don’t
let your dinner get cold,‖ said Momma.
I forked the meat and corn and potatoes
into my mouth. ―Please, may I go out? The
fireflies ---― Momma smiled, and Daddy
nodded.
―Go ahead,‖ they said.

22. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
I ran from the table, down to the cellar to
find a jar. I knew where to look, behind the
stairs.

What is the boy doing?
Why?

How does the boy feel?
How do you know?
The jars were dusty, and I polished one
clean on my shirt. Then I ran back up, two
steps at a time.
―Holes,‖ I remembered, ―so they can
breathe.‖ And as quietly as I could, so she
wouldn’t catch me dulling them, I poked
holes in the top of the jar with Momma’s
scissors.
The screen door banged behind me as I
ran from the house. If someone
said, ―Don’t slam it,‖ I wasn’t listening.

23. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
I called to my friends in the
street, ―Fireflies!‖ But they had come
before me with polished jars, and others
were coming behinds.
The sky was darker now. My ears rang with
crickets, and my eyes stung from staring
too long. I blinked hard as I watched
them—Fireflies! Blinking on, blinking
off, dipping low, soaring high above my
head, making white patterns in the dark.
We ran like crazy, barefoot in the grass.
―Catch them, catch them!‖ we
cried, grasping at the lights.

In the paragraph that starts
with, ―The sky was darker
now,‖ what do you notice
about the boy?

24. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
Suddenly a voice called out above the
others, ―I caught one!‖
And it was my own.
I thrust my hand into the jar and spread it
open. The jar glowed like moonlight and I
held it in my hands. I felt a tremble of joy
and shouted, ―I can catch hundreds!‖
Then we dashed about, waving our hands
in the air like nets, catching two, ten –
hundreds of fireflies, thrusting them into
jars, waving our hands for more.

How does the boy feel after
catching his first firefly and
what does it spur him to do
afterwards?

What do you notice about
the boy and his friends on
this page?

25. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
Then someone called from my house, ―It’s
time to come in, now,‖ and others called
from their houses and it was over.

What do the boy and his
friends do with their jars of
fireflies?

What does the boy say to
his Momma and Daddy?
What does this show about
how he feels?
My friends took jars of fireflies to different
homes.
I climbed the stairs to my room and set the
jar on the table by my bed. Momma kissed
me and turned out the light. ―I caught
hundreds,‖ I said.
Daddy called from the hallway ―See you
later, alligator.‖
―After a while, crocodile,‖ I called back.
―I caught hundreds of fireflies –―

26. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
In the dark I watched the fireflies from my
bed. They blinked off and on, and the jar
glowed like moonlight.
But it was not the same. The fireflies beat
their wings against the glass and fell to the
bottom, and lay there.
The light in the jar turned yellow, like a
flashlight left on too long. I tried to
swallow, but something in my throat would
not go down.
And the light grew dimmer, green, like
moonlight under water.

How do the fireflies look in
the dark right after his
parents leave?

What does the boy mean by
―But it was not the same‖?

How do you think the boy is
feeling now? What in the
text makes you think that?

Why do you think the
fireflies’ light was getting
dimmer?

27. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
I shut my eyes tight and put the pillow over
my head. They were my fireflies. I caught
them. They made moonlight in my jar. But
the jar was nearly dark.

What is happening here
with the boy? Why?

What does the boy do as a
result?

What happens to the
fireflies in the jar? How is
this different from when they
were captured in the jar?
I flung off the covers. I went to the
window, opened the jar, and aimed it at the
stars.
―Fly!‖
Then the jar began to glow, green, then
gold, then white as the moon. And the
fireflies poured out into the night.

28. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

The boy holds an empty jar
at the end while crying and
smiling? What is he feeling
and why? Compare and
contrast this to his feelings
when he first brought the
captured fireflies inside and
told his parents he had
caught hundreds?

What does the boy learn at
the end?
Fireflies!
Blinking on, blinking off, dipping
low, soaring high above my head, making
circle around the moon, like stars dancing.
I held the jar, dark and empty, in my hands.
The moonlight and the fireflies swam in my
tears, but I could feel myself smiling.

29. Conclusion of First
Reading
 The questions focused on key elements, big
ideas, and motivations (particularly events that
could be confusing)
 The discussion led by these questions should lead
to a good understanding of what the text said.
 A good follow up would be a written retell/written
summary. Could be done orally at first but should
become written as a way of demonstrating
understanding of key ideas and details.
Source: Timothy Shanahan
Close Reading Presentation
modified by J. Espinosa

30. Second Reading: How
Does the Text Work?
 Questions should help guide students to think about
how the text works and what the author was up to
(craft and structure)
 Stories are written by people to teach lessons or
reveal insights about the human condition in
aesthetically pleasing or powerful ways
 Awareness of author choices are critical to coming to
terms with craft and structure
Source: Timothy Shanahan
Close Reading Presentation
modified by J. Espinosa

31. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
On a summer evening I looked up from
dinner, through the open window to the
backyard.
It was growing dark. My treehouse was a
black shape in the tree and I wouldn’t go
up there now.
But something flickered there, a moment—
I looked, and it was gone. It flickered
again, over near the fence. Fireflies! ―Don’t
let your dinner get cold,‖ said Momma.
I forked the meat and corn and potatoes
into my mouth. ―Please, may I go out? The
fireflies ---― Momma smiled, and Daddy
nodded.
―Go ahead,‖ they said.

Whose point of view is this
story being told from?

32. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
I ran from the table, down to the cellar to
find a jar. I knew where to look, behind the
stairs.
The jars were dusty, and I polished one
clean on my shirt. Then I ran back up, two
steps at a time.
―Holes,‖ I remembered, ―so they can
breathe.‖ And as quietly as I could, so she
wouldn’t catch me dulling them, I poked
holes in the top of the jar with Momma’s
scissors.
The screen door banged behind me as I
ran from the house. If someone
said, ―Don’t slam it,‖ I wasn’t listening.

What does polished mean?

33. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
I called to my friends in the
street, ―Fireflies!‖ But they had come
before me with polished jars, and others
were coming behind.
The sky was darker now. My ears rang with
crickets, and my eyes stung from staring
too long. I blinked hard as I watched
them—Fireflies! Blinking on, blinking
off, dipping low, soaring high above my
head, making white patterns in the dark.

How does the author
describe the fireflies here?
What might be the author’s
purpose in describing them
like this?

What does grasping mean?
We ran like crazy, barefoot in the grass.
―Catch them, catch them!‖ we
cried, grasping at the lights.

34. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
Suddenly a voice called out above the
others, ―I caught one!‖
And it was my own.

How does the author
describe the boy catching
his first firefly?
I thrust my hand into the jar and spread it
open. The jar glowed like moonlight and I
held it in my hands. I felt a tremble of joy
and shouted, ―I can catch hundreds!‖

What is the jar with the
firefly being compared to?
What figurative language
device does the author use
for this comparison?
Then we dashed about, waving our hands
in the air like nets, catching two, ten –
hundreds of fireflies, thrusting them into
jars, waving our hands for more.

35. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
Then someone called from my house, ―It’s
time to come in, now,‖ and others called
from their houses and it was over.
My friends took jars of fireflies to different
homes.
I climbed the stairs to my room and set the
jar on the table by my bed. Momma kissed
me and turned out the light. ―I caught
hundreds,‖ I said.
Daddy called from the hallway ―See you
later, alligator.‖
―After a while, crocodile,‖ I called back.
―I caught hundreds of fireflies –―

36. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe
In the dark I watched the fireflies from my
bed. They blinked off and on, and the jar
glowed like moonlight.

How does the author describe
the jar with the fireflies? How
does this compare to the
previous description of the first
firefly he caught in the jar?

What is being compared here?
How is this comparison
different than before?

What does grew dimmer
mean?

What is being compared here?
Again how is it different than
the first descriptions of the
fireflies outside and inside of
the jar?
But it was not the same. The fireflies beat
their wings against the glass and fell to the
bottom, and lay there.
The light in the jar turned yellow, like a
flashlight left on too long. I tried to
swallow, but something in my throat would
not go down.
And the light grew dimmer, green, like
moonlight under water.

37. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

How does the author’s use
of first person point of view
help us understand the
boy’s internal struggle with
what he wants and what he
comes to realize he has to
do?

I shut my eyes tight and put the pillow over
my head. They were my fireflies. I caught
them. They made moonlight in my jar. But
the jar was nearly dark.
How does the author
describe the fireflies here?
Why is this significant?
I flung off the covers. I went to the
window, opened the jar, and aimed it at the
stars.
―Fly!‖
Then the jar began to glow, green, then
gold, then white as the moon. And the
fireflies poured out into the night.

38. Fireflies by Julie Brinkloe

Fireflies!
Blinking on, blinking off, dipping low,
soaring high above my head, making
circles around the moon, like stars
dancing.
I held the jar, dark and empty, in my hands.
The moonlight and the fireflies swam in my
tears, but I could feel myself smiling.
What do you notice about
the author’s description of
the fireflies here? Why is
this significant?

What do you notice about
how the author chose to end
this story and what does it
show us about the boy?

39. Conclusion of Second
Reading
 My questions focused on why and how the author told
his story (specifically looking at literary
devices, word, sentence choices, and author’s point of
view and purpose)
 The discussion led by these question should lead to a
good understanding of how the text works and to a
deeper understanding of its implications
 A good follow-up would be critical analysis of the story or
aspects of the story (What is the author’s point of view
on fireflies? OR How does the author’s use of similes
help us understand what is happening in the story?)
Source: Timothy Shanahan Close
Reading Presentation modified by
J. Espinosa

40. Third Reading: What Does the Text Mean?
Value? Connections to other Texts?
 ―Third‖ reading
 Questions should help guide students to think about
what this text means to them and how it connects to to
other texts/stories/events/films
 Stories relate to other stories—how characters in
different stories or different versions of a story compare
 Evaluations of quality (placing a text on a continuum
based on quality standards) and connecting to other
experiences is an essential part of the reading
experience
Source: Timothy Shanahan Close
Reading Presentation modified by
J. Espinosa

41. Striving for Meaning
 What did you take the story to mean from the boy’s
point of view? OR stated another way, What
lesson did the boy learn?
 What event symbolized the central meaning of the
story?
 What does the story mean to you? What does it say
about how you live you life?

42. 
Evaluation and
Synthesis
Do you know other stories or informational texts like this? How
were those texts similar and different?

Compare to Next Time You See a Firefly By Emily Morgan, a
nonfiction book published by NSTA Kids on the same topic of
fireflies.
 How are the books different? How are they the same? Give details
from the texts.
 How is the author’s purpose different for each book?
 What do you think the authors of these two very different books
might have in common? What evidence from the texts makes you
think that?
 How did reading two very different books on the same topic affect
the way you think about fireflies?

Did you like this story? Why?

Ex: What did you think about how the author used similes in this
story? OR What did you think about how the author used
sensory details in this story?

43. Conclusion
 Readers need opportunities to make sense of big
ideas from a range of high quality texts
 Reading lessons based upon the idea of close
readings requires that teachers do more to focus
student attention on reading, interpreting, and
evaluating text.
 Readers have a new idea at the end. Our close
reading will help us to change our thinking not just
confirm our thinking.
Source: Timothy Shanahan
3/11/13

44. Why Does Close
Reading Matter?
 It is not just academic it is a way of being. In our
everyday lives doing many different things such as
watching T.V., thinking about something that just
happened, thinking about our relationships. Do I
read closely the words I use with a tough student or
a colleague or my daughters or my wife, or before I
write this memo or send this email? How would my
life be better if I read my language more closely and
make changes? I would probably experience more
satisfaction and spend more time on the things I
truly value. Like with my family, my friends, and with
God.

45. Resources for Planning Close
Analytic Reading
 Quantitative Measures: Lexile or other measures.
(Online) Can enter any title in Scholastic database or
using www.lexile.com by copying and pasting at least
500 word excerpt from selection.
 Qualitative Factors of Text Complexity (Online)
 Great, Challenging Text (CA Treasures Main
Selection, Picture Book, Short Story, Informational
Article, etc.)
 A Guide to Creating Text Dependent and Specific
Questions for Close Analytic Reading (Handout)
 Text Dependent Question Template (Handout)
 Criteria for Evaluating a Set of Questions (Online)

46. Steps in Planning Close Reading

Step 1: Identify the Core Understandings and Key Ideas of the Text

Step 2: Target Vocabulary

Step 3: Syntax and Text Structures-Tackle Tough Sections of the Text

Step 4: Create Coherent Sequences of Text Dependent Questions-for up
to three close reading each with a different purpose (1st-Key Ideas and
Details, 2nd-Craft and Structure, 3rd-Integration of Knowledge and Ideas)

Step 5: Provide Structured Talk Opportunities –For students to orally
discuss answers to text dependent questions using academic
conversation skills.

Step 6: Identify the Standards That Will Be Addressed in the Whole
Lesson Sequence

Step 7: Create at Task to Check for Understanding.

47. 
Text Dependent
Question Design
Modified Student Achievement Partners Version
Template

48. Which words should be taught?
 Essential to text
 Likely to appear in future text
Are there related words that can be
connected to, or which students may
already know?
Are there cognates in Spanish that would
be helpful to connect to?
Vocabulary
When should you provide the meaning?
When should students determine the
meaning from context?
Step 2

49. Questions and tasks addressing
syntax:
 What role does the sentence play in
 Paraphrase
 Pull apart sentences into multiple
Syntax
the paragraph or the whole
passage? What would be different if
that sentence were gone?
sentences
 Take short sentences and combine
into one complex or compound
sentence.
Step 3

50. Creating Coherent Sets of TextDependent Questions
Step 4
Whole
Across
texts
Entire texts
Segments
Standards
Opinions, Arguments,
Inter-textual Connections
Inferences
Author’s Purpose
8&9
3&7
6
Paragraph
Vocab & Text Structure
Sentence
4&5
Word
Key Details
2
Part
General Understandings
1
Adapted from Fischer/Frey

51. See handout
―Criteria for
Evaluating a
Set of TextDependent
Questions‖ –
p.2
Step 4

52. Common Core State Standards
Step 6
• Addresses Common Core Reading Standards: RL 5.1,
RL 5.2, RL 5.3, RL 5.4, RL 5.5, RL 5.6, RL 5.9, RI 5.1
• Addresses Common Core Speaking and Listening
Standards: SL 5.1, SL 5.2, SL 5.4
• Addresses Common Core Writing Standards: W 5.1, W
5.4, W 5.9

53. E1. Does the task to check for
understanding call on the
knowledge and understanding
acquired through the questions?
E2. Does the writing in the task
demand that students write to the
text and use evidence?
E3. Are the instructions to
teacher and student clear about
what must be performed to
achieve proficiency?
E4. Is this task worthy of the
student and classroom time it
will consume?
Task to Check for
Understanding
Writing
Step 7
Selection Question:
What lesson did the boy
learn in this story?
What is one possible
theme for this story?

54. Questions????

55. Grade Level
Planning: Close
Reading
September 17, 2013
https://sites.google.com/site/firststreetsccsspathways/home

56. Quantitative Measurement for Text Complexity:
CCSS Lexile Stretch Bands

57. Qualitative Factors of Text Complexity

58. Planning for Close Reading: Creating
Text Dependent Questions Task

Step 1: As a grade level choose a main selection for Unit 2
or a literature transcription in which you will conduct close
reading with your class.

Step 2: Use Guide to Creating Text Dependent Questions
for Close Analytic Reading to plan which provides specific
steps linked with the template. Also use Common Core
Reading Standards RL or RI 1-9 for you grade.

Step 3: Record your sequence of text-dependent questions
in the Text-Dependent Question Template and evidence
based answers.

Step 4: Design culminating writing tasks for each close
read to check for understanding.

Step 5: Check the Quality of Your Text-Dependent
Questions with The Checklist for Evaluating Question
Quality

59. Resources

Websites


Engagy NY: www.engageny.org

http://www.engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-ela-literacy-shift-4-text-based-answers/

Shanahan on Literacy: www.shanahanonliteracy.com

Fisher and Frey: Literacy for Life: http://fisherandfrey.com/

Classroom Video of Close Reading (2nd grade): http://commoncore.americaachieves.org/module/6

Classroom Video of Close Reading (5th Grade): http://commoncore.americaachieves.org/module/7


Student Achievement Partners: www.achievethecore.org
The Hunt Institute:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho_ntaYbL7o&list=UUF0pa3nE3aZAfBMT8pqM5PA&index=13
Books:

Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives: Comprehending, Analyzing, and Discussing Text by
Fisher, Frey, and Ladd

Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Beers and Probst

Close Reading of Informational Texts: Assessment Driven Instruction in Grade 3-8 by Blanchowicz and
Cummins



Pathways to the Common Core by Calkins and Lehman
Falling in Love with Close Reading by Lehman and Roberts (Coming in the Fall of 2013)
Common Core Standards:

Appendix B-Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks (www.corestandards.org)

60. Possible Next Steps
 In grade level teams or PLCs begin the work of choosing
challenging texts and designing text dependent
questions for close reading with culminating writing tasks
using the Text Dependent Question Design
Template, the Collaborative Team Protocol for
Determining Text Complexity, and the Qualitative Factors
for Text Complexity
 Investigate close reading through journals, books, other
PD opportunities, and websites
 Gather texts including stair-case text for readers below
grade level on specific topics or themes which can
provide students an opportunity to go much more in
depth and build knowledge across texts.