Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, Grades K-2

Ready-to-Go Resources and Assessment Tools Galore
Nancy N. Boyles - Southern Connecticut State University, USA
Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, Grades K-2
January 2016 | 280 pages | Corwin
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ISBN: 9781506348667
Available from January 0001
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ISBN: 9781506326467
Available from January 0001

Description

Every teacher in K-2 who has ever wished for comprehension lessons that get students where they need to be in reading, talking, and writing about texts, take notice: your wish just came true. 

With Lessons and Units for Closer Reading: K-2 you get  20 initial close reading lessons and 80 follow-up comprehension skill lessons that expertly scaffold young readers. What makes these lessons so spot-on is that Nancy combed through hundreds of standards and standardized assessments to arrive at the 12 skills that matter most at K–2. 

The lessons are arranged into 5 units of study, providing you with instant standards-aligned curriculum. Other can’t-live-without features:

  • 12 illustrated reproducible sets of Active Reader Cards that give children tactile and visual support for key comprehension skills (available to print in four-color!)

  • Step-by-step and day–by-day how-to’s for the initial lessons and follow-up lessons, including text-dependent questions for every featured picture book 
       
  • Illustrated, short fables that engage kids with themes including making choices, making a difference, and making sense of character traits

  • 12 Formative Assessments that take the scare factor out of testing for young learners with lots of graphic support and options for oral and written tasks

  • Performance criteria that give you standards-aligned means of measuring what your students have learned, so you can adjust your instruction

Teachers in K-2: Nancy knows what an amazing feat you pull off each year, taking young learners from 0-60 in the space of the school year. With Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, she gives you the gift of time, with a treasure trove of at-the-ready materials. 

Nancy Boyles, a former classroom teacher, is the author of many best-selling books and a literacy consultant who provides curriculum support nationwide. This book is part of a three-part series that offers schools a K-6 solution for reading instruction.

 

Contents

Reading Closely in K–2: Guidelines for Getting Started

  • 1. Rely on high-quality picture books that you read aloud.
  • 2. Teach an initial close reading lesson to build content knowledge.
  • 3. Teach close reading follow-up lessons to build skills.
  • 4. Assess close reading appropriately with formative assessments.
  • 5. Teach close reading using units so students can make connections between texts.
  • 6. Teach close reading using learning pathways that show students how to learn.

Teaching and Assessing Students’ Comprehension

  • The Twelve Skills in Focus
  • How the Assessments Are Embedded Across Books and Units
  • How the Assessments Are Embedded in Weekly Instruction
  • During Reading Success: It’s in the Cards
  • After Reading Success: Framing Students’ Thinking
  • How to Evaluate Students’ Written Responses
  • Rubric for Evaluating Reader Response Frames

Standards: Putting the Assessment Tools to Work

  • The Reproducibles: Active Reader Cards and Reader Response Frames
  • Student-Friendly Forms for Teaching and Assessing the Standards

The Units and Lessons

  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Character Trait
  • Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Show Kindness to Others?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Wind and the Sun
  • Close Reading Lessons for Melissa Parkington’s Beautiful, Beautiful Hair
  • Close Reading Lessons for Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale From Kenya
  • Close Reading Lessons for Each Kindness
  • Close Reading Lessons for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study an Animal
  • Unit Focus: How Are Animals the Same? How Are Animals Different?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Hare and the Tortoise
  • Close Reading Lessons for Panda Kindergarten
  • Close Reading Lessons for Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems
  • Close Reading Lessons for Surprising Sharks
  • Close Reading Lessons for Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Person
  • Unit Focus: How Can You Make a Difference—Even if You’re a Kid?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Mouse
  • Close Reading Lessons for Blizzard
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Wednesday Surprise
  • Close Reading Lessons for Rosie Revere, Engineer
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Story of Ruby Bridges
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Place
  • Unit Focus: What Is Special About This Place?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Dolphin
  • Close Reading Lessons for Antarctica
  • Close Reading Lessons for Fernando’s Gift
  • Close Reading Lessons for Creatures of the Desert World
  • Close Reading Lessons for America the Beautiful: Together We Stand
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Theme
  • Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Make Good Choices?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Two Frogs
  • Close Reading Lessons for Fireflies
  • Close Reading Lessons for Those Shoes
  • Close Reading Lessons for Maddi’s Fridge
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Empty Pot

References

References

Additional materials

Description

Every teacher in K-2 who has ever wished for comprehension lessons that get students where they need to be in reading, talking, and writing about texts, take notice: your wish just came true. 

With Lessons and Units for Closer Reading: K-2 you get  20 initial close reading lessons and 80 follow-up comprehension skill lessons that expertly scaffold young readers. What makes these lessons so spot-on is that Nancy combed through hundreds of standards and standardized assessments to arrive at the 12 skills that matter most at K–2. 

The lessons are arranged into 5 units of study, providing you with instant standards-aligned curriculum. Other can’t-live-without features:

  • 12 illustrated reproducible sets of Active Reader Cards that give children tactile and visual support for key comprehension skills (available to print in four-color!)

  • Step-by-step and day–by-day how-to’s for the initial lessons and follow-up lessons, including text-dependent questions for every featured picture book 
       
  • Illustrated, short fables that engage kids with themes including making choices, making a difference, and making sense of character traits

  • 12 Formative Assessments that take the scare factor out of testing for young learners with lots of graphic support and options for oral and written tasks

  • Performance criteria that give you standards-aligned means of measuring what your students have learned, so you can adjust your instruction

Teachers in K-2: Nancy knows what an amazing feat you pull off each year, taking young learners from 0-60 in the space of the school year. With Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, she gives you the gift of time, with a treasure trove of at-the-ready materials. 

Nancy Boyles, a former classroom teacher, is the author of many best-selling books and a literacy consultant who provides curriculum support nationwide. This book is part of a three-part series that offers schools a K-6 solution for reading instruction.

 

Contents

Reading Closely in K–2: Guidelines for Getting Started

  • 1. Rely on high-quality picture books that you read aloud.
  • 2. Teach an initial close reading lesson to build content knowledge.
  • 3. Teach close reading follow-up lessons to build skills.
  • 4. Assess close reading appropriately with formative assessments.
  • 5. Teach close reading using units so students can make connections between texts.
  • 6. Teach close reading using learning pathways that show students how to learn.

Teaching and Assessing Students’ Comprehension

  • The Twelve Skills in Focus
  • How the Assessments Are Embedded Across Books and Units
  • How the Assessments Are Embedded in Weekly Instruction
  • During Reading Success: It’s in the Cards
  • After Reading Success: Framing Students’ Thinking
  • How to Evaluate Students’ Written Responses
  • Rubric for Evaluating Reader Response Frames

Standards: Putting the Assessment Tools to Work

  • The Reproducibles: Active Reader Cards and Reader Response Frames
  • Student-Friendly Forms for Teaching and Assessing the Standards

The Units and Lessons

  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Character Trait
  • Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Show Kindness to Others?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Wind and the Sun
  • Close Reading Lessons for Melissa Parkington’s Beautiful, Beautiful Hair
  • Close Reading Lessons for Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale From Kenya
  • Close Reading Lessons for Each Kindness
  • Close Reading Lessons for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study an Animal
  • Unit Focus: How Are Animals the Same? How Are Animals Different?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Hare and the Tortoise
  • Close Reading Lessons for Panda Kindergarten
  • Close Reading Lessons for Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems
  • Close Reading Lessons for Surprising Sharks
  • Close Reading Lessons for Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Person
  • Unit Focus: How Can You Make a Difference—Even if You’re a Kid?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Mouse
  • Close Reading Lessons for Blizzard
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Wednesday Surprise
  • Close Reading Lessons for Rosie Revere, Engineer
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Story of Ruby Bridges
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Place
  • Unit Focus: What Is Special About This Place?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Dolphin
  • Close Reading Lessons for Antarctica
  • Close Reading Lessons for Fernando’s Gift
  • Close Reading Lessons for Creatures of the Desert World
  • Close Reading Lessons for America the Beautiful: Together We Stand
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Theme
  • Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Make Good Choices?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Two Frogs
  • Close Reading Lessons for Fireflies
  • Close Reading Lessons for Those Shoes
  • Close Reading Lessons for Maddi’s Fridge
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Empty Pot

References

References

Additional materials

SAGE Publishing Logo

Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, Grades K-2

Ready-to-Go Resources and Assessment Tools Galore


January 2016 | 280 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Spiral 01/02/2026 9781506326467 $43.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781506348667 $40.00

Every teacher in K-2 who has ever wished for comprehension lessons that get students where they need to be in reading, talking, and writing about texts, take notice: your wish just came true. 

With Lessons and Units for Closer Reading: K-2 you get  20 initial close reading lessons and 80 follow-up comprehension skill lessons that expertly scaffold young readers. What makes these lessons so spot-on is that Nancy combed through hundreds of standards and standardized assessments to arrive at the 12 skills that matter most at K–2. 

The lessons are arranged into 5 units of study, providing you with instant standards-aligned curriculum. Other can’t-live-without features:

  • 12 illustrated reproducible sets of Active Reader Cards that give children tactile and visual support for key comprehension skills (available to print in four-color!)

  • Step-by-step and day–by-day how-to’s for the initial lessons and follow-up lessons, including text-dependent questions for every featured picture book 
       
  • Illustrated, short fables that engage kids with themes including making choices, making a difference, and making sense of character traits

  • 12 Formative Assessments that take the scare factor out of testing for young learners with lots of graphic support and options for oral and written tasks

  • Performance criteria that give you standards-aligned means of measuring what your students have learned, so you can adjust your instruction

Teachers in K-2: Nancy knows what an amazing feat you pull off each year, taking young learners from 0-60 in the space of the school year. With Lessons and Units for Closer Reading, she gives you the gift of time, with a treasure trove of at-the-ready materials. 

Nancy Boyles, a former classroom teacher, is the author of many best-selling books and a literacy consultant who provides curriculum support nationwide. This book is part of a three-part series that offers schools a K-6 solution for reading instruction.

 


Table Of Contents:

  • Reading Closely in K–2: Guidelines for Getting Started
  • 1. Rely on high-quality picture books that you read aloud.
  • 2. Teach an initial close reading lesson to build content knowledge.
  • 3. Teach close reading follow-up lessons to build skills.
  • 4. Assess close reading appropriately with formative assessments.
  • 5. Teach close reading using units so students can make connections between texts.
  • 6. Teach close reading using learning pathways that show students how to learn.
  • Teaching and Assessing Students’ Comprehension
  • The Twelve Skills in Focus
  • How the Assessments Are Embedded Across Books and Units
  • How the Assessments Are Embedded in Weekly Instruction
  • During Reading Success: It’s in the Cards
  • After Reading Success: Framing Students’ Thinking
  • How to Evaluate Students’ Written Responses
  • Rubric for Evaluating Reader Response Frames
  • Standards: Putting the Assessment Tools to Work
  • The Reproducibles: Active Reader Cards and Reader Response Frames
  • Student-Friendly Forms for Teaching and Assessing the Standards
  • The Units and Lessons
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Character Trait
  • Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Show Kindness to Others?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Wind and the Sun
  • Close Reading Lessons for Melissa Parkington’s Beautiful, Beautiful Hair
  • Close Reading Lessons for Mama Panya’s Pancakes: A Village Tale From Kenya
  • Close Reading Lessons for Each Kindness
  • Close Reading Lessons for Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study an Animal
  • Unit Focus: How Are Animals the Same? How Are Animals Different?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Hare and the Tortoise
  • Close Reading Lessons for Panda Kindergarten
  • Close Reading Lessons for Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems
  • Close Reading Lessons for Surprising Sharks
  • Close Reading Lessons for Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Person
  • Unit Focus: How Can You Make a Difference—Even if You’re a Kid?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Mouse
  • Close Reading Lessons for Blizzard
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Wednesday Surprise
  • Close Reading Lessons for Rosie Revere, Engineer
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Story of Ruby Bridges
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Place
  • Unit Focus: What Is Special About This Place?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Lion and the Dolphin
  • Close Reading Lessons for Antarctica
  • Close Reading Lessons for Fernando’s Gift
  • Close Reading Lessons for Creatures of the Desert World
  • Close Reading Lessons for America the Beautiful: Together We Stand
  • Learning Pathway: How to Study a Theme
  • Unit Focus: Why Is It Important to Make Good Choices?
  • Fable to Begin the Unit: The Two Frogs
  • Close Reading Lessons for Fireflies
  • Close Reading Lessons for Those Shoes
  • Close Reading Lessons for Maddi’s Fridge
  • Close Reading Lessons for The Empty Pot
  • References

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