Notice & Note:

Untitled Slide

Close Reading

Before we talk about reading, let's talk about jokes.

What do you do when you hear a funny joke?

Laugh out loud!

Why?

Untitled Slide

Because it's funny!

Ok. Kinda obvious. It's an emotional reaction.
It's funny... you laugh!

But, did you know that...

When comedians -- people who tell jokes for a living -- hear a really funny joke...

They rarely laugh.

No. When a comedian thinks a joke is funny...

...they're more likely to just nod, grin, and say:

Untitled Slide

Why don't they laugh?
(They obviously have a sense of humor)

Untitled Slide

Comedians listen to jokes CLOSELY.

They "get the joke,"
but they're paying attention to what makes the joke work:

A Comedian's Joke Analysis

• How the joke was structured
• How the joke was delivered
• Gestures and movement used
• Pace, phrasing, and vocal delivery
• Other jokes they've heard like it
• How someone else might have told it
• How they might have told it, etc, etc....

In other words...

When comedians listen to jokes, they're doing TWO things at once...

1. They're having an emotional reaction ("This is funny!")

2. They're intellectually engaged with the joke ("This is well done.")

Both at the same time.

That's what it means to LISTEN CLOSELY
to a joke.

What do jokes have to do with reading?

OUR GOAL: To teach you to read fiction the way comedians listen to jokes:

CLOSELY.

Wait. So that whole thing was an analogy?

Yes!

I don't get it.

"Close listening" to a joke means paying attention, working to analyze, understand, and appreciate how it works and why it's funny.

Okayyy...
but close reading? Huh??

Close Reading means...

Working hard to analyze, understand, & appreciate how & why the story "works."

Paying close attention & reading with RIGOR- the energy & attention given to a text

Going inside a text with curiosity, noticing and questioning everything.

Got it. "Close reading"
= deep and thoughtful thinking about a text. But... signposts???

Signposts help
you do all that!

Literary Signposts:

Street signs are helpful because they tell us what to do while driving or walking around town.

Literary Signposts are similarly helpful because they tell us what we should DO while READING.

But what are
these "signposts"?

Signposts are elements of stories that are...

1. Noticeable story features that stand out and are easy to find

2. Features that show up across the majority of books

3. Features that help readers understand their own responses, their own reading experience, and their own interpretations of the text

Signposts provide insight into or raise questions about elements of the story (character, setting, conflict, theme)

Signposts also help readers predict, visualize, make connections, and draw inferences -- all of which help readers better comprehend a story

The signposts are there to tell us this moment in the book is important, and we need stop and give it some thought!

There Are Six Fiction Signposts

• Contrasts & Contradictions
• Aha! Moment
• Tough Questions
• Words of the Wiser
• Again and Again
• Memory Moment

1

Contrasts & Contradictions

Contrasts & Contradictions

A sharp contrast between what we would expect and what we observe a character doing

FOR EXAMPLE...
Imagine your friend who you always hang out with at lunch suddenly starts spending lunch sitting alone at the far corner of the yard or with an entirely different group.

This contrasts with how your friend usually acts. It contradicts their usual pattern of behavior. And you might ask yourself...

Why is my friend acting this way?

In books, one of the ways authors show us how a character is changing or developing is by showing us a Contrast or Contradiction

When authors show you something that doesn't fit with what you expect, when they present you with a contrast or a contradiction...

...then you want to pause and ask yourself:

"Why would the character act (or feel) this way?"

As you answer that question, you will learn more about the character and sometimes more about the problems they're facing.

Sometimes, you might even gain some insight into a theme--the important life lesson the author is trying to share.

"Priscilla & the Wimps"

"French Roast"

"Feast"

Let's review.

When you see a character acting in a way that you wouldn't expect, stop and ask yourself, "Why would the character act this way?"

When you can answer that question, then you're learning more about the story and more about the character.

2

Aha Moment

Aha! Moment

A character's realization of something that shifts their actions or understanding of themselves, others, or the world around them

This is an easy signpost to understand because we've all experienced an "Aha Moment."

FOR EXAMPLE...
Have you ever walked into class, seen people looking through their class notes, and suddenly remembered what you were supposed to do the night before--study for the big test?

That's an Aha! Moment.

Or have you ever been looking around your room, peering over another stack of clothes on the floor or papers on your bed...

...and realized that your room really had turned into a disaster?

You suddenly are aware that your room has crossed that line from messy to, well, filthy, and whether you want to or not, you must clean it up.

That's an (annoying) "Aha! Moment."

Aha! Moments are those moments when we realize something, and that realization, in some way, changes our actions.

In books, the author often gives you clues that the character has come to an important understanding by having the character say something like...

"Suddenly I realized..."
or
"In an instant I saw..."
or
"I now knew..."

or
"It came to me in a flash..."
or
"I finally understood that..."
or
"And then it hit me..."

There are many other possibilities, but they will all point to some understanding that the character has finally reached.

These clues are there to tell you that this moment is important, and you need to stop and give it some thought.

Once you've spotted this moment, you must pause and ask yourself:

"How might this change things?"

An Aha! Moment reveals change. Asking the question focuses your attention on that change--for the character or the setting.

Thinking about possible answers to that question can help you see why the Aha! Moment is important and how it affects the story.

"Crash"

"Snack Attack"

"The Present"

Let's review.

When a character realizes or finally understands something, you want to pause, because you know this realization means something.

And you will want to ask yourself, "How might this change things?"

The Aha! Moment might be the author's way of showing you something about character development or a new direction of the plot.

If you want to dig a little deeper...

There are THREE kinds of Aha! Moments...

The first kind is that moment in which the character finally realizes what their problem is.

"I suddenly realized that they were never going to accept me into their circle."

The second kind is that moment in which the character sees the resolution of the conflict or the solution to the problem.

"I finally saw that I would have to find a way to be happy living my life apart from the 'in group.'"

The third kind is that moment when the character comes to a broader understanding that might be seen as a lesson for life and possibly the theme of the book.

"At last I understood that real happiness came from living up to your own principles and not simply following the crowd."

3

Tough Questions

We all ask questions such as:

"What's for dinner?"
or
"Where are my shoes?"
or
"Do I really have to do my homework?"

Those are questions to which we certainly want answers, BUT...

...they aren't what we'd call really tough questions.

Tough questions are the ones we sometimes ask ourselves, or someone else, that seem, at least for a while, not to have an answer.

We might ask:

"How will I ever get over this?" when we hear that a loved one has died.

We might ask:

"What should I do?" when we have a difficult, almost impossible, choice to make.

We might ask:

"Am I brave enough to say no?" when we're asked to do something we know we shouldn't do.

Tough questions are a part of life because life is, well, sometimes tough.

When you share a tough question with a friend--or just think it to yourself, you're really sharing something that's bothering you.

In a novel, we call that the internal conflict...

If you can spot the tough questions a character asks themselves or to a friend, then you'll have found the internal conflict.

Authors often show us these Tough Questions in fairly straightforward ways.

The main character asks a trusted person or asks themselves a question that obviously does not have an easy answer.

Often, Tough Questions show up in pairs:

"Why won't they talk to me anymore? Why is everyone treating me this way?

"Will I ever make any new friends here? What if I never do?"

"What if everyone finds out? Will they ever trust me again?"

Occasionally, a character might not ask a question, but might say something like:

"I wonder if..."

Once you notice the Tough Question (or the "I wonder" statement), stop and ask yourself:

What does this question make ME wonder about?

Think about it this way. If you hear there's a party and you're not invited...

You might ask yourself "Why'd I get left out?"

And from that question, you might wonder if you had done something to hurt someone's feelings...

...or if it's really with a group you don't know well, so no one figured you'd want to go...

or is someone trying to get back at you for something... or...

One tough question usually makes us wonder about other things.

So, when authors want to show us the internal conflict--the deep problems that worry a character...

They often let the character share that conflict by having them share some difficult questions.

The character might ask themselves the questions, or they might ask a friend.

When we see a Tough Question, we should stop and ask ourselves:

What does this question make me wonder about?

"A Long Walk to Water"

"La Luna"

"Cooler Self"

Let's review.

Authors show us Tough Questions to give us insight into the struggle the main character faces.

What the author wants you to do is RECOGNIZE that these questions show you what concerns the character.

When we see those questions, we should ask ourselves, "What does this make me wonder about?"

When you understand the character's situation, you are better able to contemplate how you might react in similar situations.

And when you're able to do that, you will have a much deeper understanding of the conflicts presented.

4

Words of the Wiser

Words of the Wiser

The advice or insight a wiser character, who is usually older, offers about life to the main character.

Have you ever gotten advice from an elder?

Of course! We all have. These words, or advice, are meant to make us wiser--they are meant to teach us a life lesson.

Life Advice from Elders

• If you're on time, you're late.
• If there's enough for one, there's enough for two.
• Stay ready so you ain't gotta get ready.
• You'll catch more flies with honey.
• If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Authors are, in some way, like a parent or grandparent.

They include scenes in which wise words are shared.

When you're reading, be on the lookout for moments where the main character has a quiet and serious talk with a wiser character.

The wiser character might be a friend, a brother or sister, a teacher, a parent, or the kindly neighbor from down the street.

When you find the scene, read it carefully because the wiser character is probably offering the main character some good advice.

This advice is usually a life lesson, and if you pay attention to it, you'll see an important idea that the author wants you to think about.

Pay attention to a scene in which a wiser character is offering the main character advice that is helpful at this moment in the story but could also be helpful throughout life.

Usually, the wiser figure is sharing their wisdom or advice in an effort to help the main character with a problem or a decision.

When you notice these scenes, stop and ask yourself:

"What's the life lesson and how might it affect the character?"

As you answer this question, you'll learn more about the character, the conflict they face, the plot...

You may also learn about the message or theme the author wants you to consider.

"Riding Freedom"

"Boundin'"

"Rudy"

Let's review.

You should look for a scene in which a wiser usually older character offers the main character advice...

...advice that will help them through this moment in the story but also through much of their life.

When you find that scene, you must ask yourself, "What's the life lesson, and how might this advice affect the character?"

When you can answer this question, then you're learning about what's very important in the story...

...and that may help you think about the theme.

5

Again & Again

Again & Again

Events, images, or particular words that recur over a portion of the novel.

Much of what we learn about our friends--enemies, too--we learn by noticing patterns.

When something happens over and over again, that repetition begins to tell us something...

...if we notice it and give it some thought.

FOR EXAMPLE...
One day you may be sitting with a few friends when another one joins you. One of the original group grows quiet and after a few minutes gets up and leaves.

You may not think anything of it at that moment, but if it happens again the next day, and then again the next week, you'll probably notice it.

It's the pattern, the repetition, the event that occurs again and again, that lets you know something is up--if you notice it. And if you think about it.

But noticing it isn't enough. You have to do something with what you've noticed, or it's lost.

The event may not even seem significant at all the first time it occurs, but by the third time, you'll begin to wonder what's going on and start watching your friends more closely.

You'll probably ask yourself something like, "Why does this happen again and again?"

Again and Again moments also happen in books.

When authors repeat something--a word or an image or an event--it means something.

When you see repetition in a novel, you can bet that it's important, but you may not know, right away, what it means.

Repetition might give insight into the setting or a character or perhaps a symbol of some sort.

When you see those words or images or events again and again, you have to stop and ask yourself:

"Why might the author bring this up again and again?"

The answer will generally tell you something about the character or the plot or perhaps even the theme.

"Hatchet"

"Destiny"

"Soar"

Let's review.

The Again & Again signpost reminds us to be alert to repetitions--those words or phrases or actions or situations-- that the author shows us over and over.

When you see them, you know that you need to pause and ask why the author is doing this.

6

Memory Moment

Memory Moment

A recollection by a character that interrupts the forward progress of the story

A Memory Moment is the point in the book when the author interrupts what's happening in the story to show us the main character as they remember something important.

Sometimes the clue to the Memory Moment is very obvious.

The character will say something like...

"I remembered the first time I met him."
or
"In that very moment the memory came flooding back."

Other times, the clue is more subtle. The character might say...

"My dad liked to tell the story about..."
or
"This picture always reminded me of..."

Often those moments are highlighted with words such as "remember" or "memory" or "reminded."

Be on the alert when a character shares a moment from the past...

Because it's likely to tell you something important, either about the character or about the plot.

When you find this moment in the book, you have to stop and ask yourself:

"Why might this memory be important?"

"Hope Was Here"

"Shoe"

"Lost and Found"

Keep in mind...

1. Memory Moments are easy to miss.

A good writer will make a smooth, barely noticeable transition from the ongoing action into the memory.

It's an easy signpost for the causal reader to slide right past. Keep on the lookout for Memory Moments!

2. The importance of a memory may not be revealed immediately.

In those cases, you have to file away the questions raised by the memory and expect them to be answered later.

3. Is the character remembering something as a way to provide guidance or to help him or help others solve a problem?

If so, it might mean that this moment gives you insight into how they will solve a conflict--internal or external.

4. Is the character remembering something that is obviously troubling them?

If so, it probably offers insight into an internal conflict the character faces.

Untitled Slide