Using both Structured Literacy and Close Reading within my Classroom

As a 2nd grade teacher, one of my main goals is to help all of my students become proficient readers. This can feel overwhelming when I look at the wide-range of skills and needs. To achieve this goal, I have been incorporating structured literacy and close reading strategies into my daily instruction.

Structured literacy is an approach to teaching reading that emphasizes the structure of language and the connections between letters, sounds, and words. By breaking down words into their individual sounds and building them back up, students are able to gain a deeper understanding of how words are formed and are better equipped to decode new words. Close reading is a method where students read a text multiple times, each time focusing on a different aspect of the text such as vocabulary, comprehension, and analysis.One of the biggest benefits of using these strategies is that they meet the diverse needs of my students. Struggling readers are able to receive the explicit, systematic instruction they need to improve their decoding skills, while more advanced readers are able to engage in deeper levels of comprehension and analysis.

I have seen firsthand the positive impact that these strategies have had on my students. They are able to read with greater fluency and comprehension, and they are more confident in their abilities as readers. In addition, by using close reading, I am able to differentiate instruction and meet the unique needs of each student in my class. It has been exciting to support my higher level readers to approach a text with the goal of higher levels of understanding. Using close reads, I am seeing more independence and comprehension. I am able to support my students to build critical thinking skills and take risks in reading. 

Incorporating structured literacy and close reading into my instruction has been a game changer for my 2nd grade students and I recommend giving these strategies a try in your classroom! 

If you want some resources to get started with close reading for younger students, such as grade 2 or 3, check out this resource I have on TPT.