Rigorous Reading, Florida Edition: 5 Access Points for Comprehending Complex Texts

by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey

Overview

Newly revised and updated throughout, this new Florida Edition has been specially developed to align with Florida’s new B.E.ST. Standards.

What it really means to "read closely. "

Call it close reading, call it deep reading, call it analytic reading—call it what you like. The point is, it's a level of understanding that students of any age can achieve with the right kind of instruction. In Rigorous Reading, Nancy and Doug articulate an instructional plan so clearly, and so squarely built on research, that teachers, schools, and districts need look no further.

The 5 Access Points Toward Proficiency, Purpose & Modeling:

• Teachers think aloud to demonstrate critical thinking and how good readers always know why they are reading.
• Close & Scaffolded Reading Instruction: Teachers engage students in repeated readings and discussions, with text-dependent questions, prompts, and cues to help students delve into an author's ideas.
• Collaborative Conversations: Teachers orchestrate collaborative learning to get students in the habit of exercising their analytical thinking in the presence of their peers.
• An Independent Reading Staircase: Teachers artfully steer students to more challenging books, with strategic bursts of instruction and peer conferences to foster metacognitive awareness.
• Performance: Teachers offer feedback and assessments that help students demonstrate understanding of text in authentic ways and plan instruction based on student understanding.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071810637
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	06/29/2020
Series:	Corwin Literacy
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Douglas Fisher is professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Doug was an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is a credentialed teacher and leader in California. In 2022, he was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame by the Literacy Research Association. He has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as Welcome to Teaching, PLC+, Teaching Students to Drive their Learning, and Student Assessment: Better Evidence, Better Decisions, Better Learning.

Nancy Frey is professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University and a leader at Health Sciences High and Middle College. Previously, Nancy was a teacher, academic coach, and central office resource coordinator in Florida. She is a credentialed special educator, reading specialist, and administrator in California. She is a member of the International Literacy Association’s Literacy Research Panel. She has published widely on literacy, quality instruction, and assessment, as well as books such as The Artificial Intelligences Playbook, How Scaffolding Works , How Teams Work , and The Vocabulary Playbook.

Table of Contents

List of Videos x

Foreword Eugene Pringle, Jr. xiii

Introduction: Your Access Point xvii

Chapter 1 Ramping Up for Complex Texts 1

Reading Complex Texts 3

A New Definition of Text Complexity 5

Quantitative Evaluation 5

Qualitative Evaluation 6

Student-Centered Considerations 7

Reading Closely and Carefully 10

Accessing Complex Texts Through a Gradual Release of Responsibility 13

The Organization of Learning Expectations in Florida 15

Organization of Rigorous Reading, Florida Edition 17

Summary 19

Chapter 2 Access Point One: Modeling and Learning Intentions 21

Accessing Complex Text Requires Modeling 23

Model That Which Is Difficult for Students 27

Model Ways to Resolve Problems 29

Model How You Interact With Text 31

Model Through Think-Alouds 33

Model Through Interactive Shared Readings 35

Accessing Complex Text Requires a Clear Learning Intention 38

Components of the Learning Intention 39

Communicate the Learning Intention 42

Summary 42

Chapter 3 Access Point Two: Close and Scaffolded Reading Instruction 45

Accessing Complex Text Requires Close Reading 47

Short, Worthy Passages 48

Students' Rereading 49

Limited Frontloading 49

Text-Dependent Questions 51

Annotation 60

After-Reading Tasks 62

Close Reading for Young Readers 63

Accessing Complex Text Requires Scaffolded Reading Instruction 66

The Student, Not the Teacher, Is the Reader 69

Small Groups Help Differentiate Support 70

Students Have Similar Strengths and Needs 70

Grouping Patterns Change Frequently 71

Using Questions and Providing Prompts and Cues Guide Learners 71

The Trouble With Whole-Class Scaffolded Reading Instruction 76

Summary 77

Chapter 4 Access Point Three: Collaborative Conversations 79

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Collaborative Conversations 80

Building Structures for Collaborative Learning 83

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Student-to-Student Interaction 94

Reciprocal Teaching 94

Collaborative Strategic Reading 95

Summary 101

Chapter 5 Access Point Four: An Independent Reading Staircase 103

The Goals of Independent Learning 106

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Wide, Independent Reading 109

Differences Between SSR and Independent Reading 112

Students Respond During Independent Reading 114

Students Talk About Texts 118

Increasing At-Home Reading 119

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Conferring 122

Summary 125

Chapter 6 Access Point Five: Assessing Students' Understanding 127

Checking for Understanding 128

Providing Effective Feedback 132

Engaging in Feed-Forward Instruction 135

Summary 140

Coda 141

References 143

Index 151

Editorial Reviews

In Rigorous Reading: 5 Access Points for Comprehending Complex Texts, Fisher and Frey help teachers understand how to bring vigor to rigor. They teach us how to help students understand more from their complex texts—greater understanding that will help to bring life and energy to each student’s reading. Rooted in solid research, this is book is a must-read for those grappling with how to translate the recommendations and mandates around text complexity into instructional practices.

Jennifer Serravallo

With Rigorous Reading, Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey have provided literacy educators who are committed to successfully raising the bar with solutions that make sense. The book is masterfully developed with an extensive reach across many grade levels in terms of defining what it means to provide intentional instruction and teaching text complexity. The five access points are discussed pragmatically with evidence of a solid research base deftly woven throughout the book. This is the most practical book I have come across in terms of providing teachers with the knowledge base and assistance many are seeking to improve their instruction with regard to complex texts.

Steven L. Layne

Just as our students require scaffolded instruction, so do we teachers in an ever-changing educational landscape. In this book, Fisher and Frey offer Florida’s teachers the what and the how of providing the nuts and bolts to students with diverse needs and states of readiness.

Paul Holimon

Worthwhile, intentional, and thorough are watchwords to describe the Florida edition of Fisher and Frey’s Rigorous Reading. This book provides teachers and teacher-leaders with the critical information they need to unfold Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards and improve transdisciplinary literacy acquisition across grade levels. It is mindfully written for those closest to the students—the classroom teachers.

Enrique A. Puig

Fisher and Frey have truly outdone themselves with this must-read for all Florida educators—preservice to secondary. Rigorous Reading effortlessly moves from theory to practice while explicitly addressing necessary scaffolds to ensure each and every student can access complex text. The five access points are exactly what educators need to elevate learning and increase cognitive engagement through strong literacy instruction.

Courtney Lough

This is a bold book. . . . It is genius, and its unique contribution is in bringing the balance and the centeredness to new education standards.

P. David Pearson

[W]e need resources that show us how to support students in developing their full literacy potential. In this very practical and insightful book, Fisher and Frey examine how conceptions of text complexity are causing us to shift some of our ideas about reading instruction. Rigorous Reading is an important resource that will help teachers align reading instruction in powerful ways.

Linda B. Gambrell