"Reading Beyond the Page Implementing Close Reading to Support Student Comprehension”​

Dr. Emma Gibbs

Dr. Emma Gibbs is a Strobel Education consultant who provides professional development for teachers. As an educational consultant, Dr. Gibbs strives to provide teachers the knowledge and tools they need to implement highly effective and student-centered instruction in their classroom.

Dr.Gibbs is a secondary and higher education English instructor from Central Kentucky. Dr. Gibbs earned her Bachelors's and Master's Degrees in English and Secondary Education from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Gibbs went on to earn her Doctorate in English Pedagogy with a K-12 Literacy specialization from Murray State University. Dr. Gibbs is an experienced teacher who has taught in the secondary and higher education classroom.

ALL are welcome, including anyone in a non-administrative position!

Participants will earn .5 credit (7.5 hours) toward license renewal!

This workshop ALSO counts for step advancement in Clark, Washoe and most Nevada School Districts!

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In CCSD, those in non-administrative licensed positions may count this workshop for license renewal AND ALSO CU accrual - THOSE IN NON-ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS EARN BOTH!

(unlimited CUs in this category for those in non-administrative positions)

In CCSD, administrators and professional-technical administrators may count this workshop for license renewal OR hour accrual toward step-advancement - not both for administrators.

(maximum of 30 hours per advancement cycle for administrators in this category)!

Washoe County participants will be required to also register for this course in "MyPGS" in order to receive in-service credit toward salary advancement.

Close Reading Workshop Introduction:

Reading is an act of exploration. Through literature and texts, students have the opportunity to explore new worlds, explore their passions and interests, and exercise their imaginations. But reading is not an innate skill.

Reading is a crucial and complex skill that many students struggle to improve. When students are strong and fluent readers, they are able to independently decode words, read with fluency, connect sentences, access prior knowledge, and maintain focus in order to comprehend text. These skills provide a foundation for critical thinking, literacy, and independent learning.

We want our students to be strong independent readers. By providing intentional and structured reading instruction, we can give our students the power of reading beyond the page. Close Reading is a research based instructional strategy that promotes student reading comprehension, fluency, and critical thinking skills.

Confident readers are thriving readers. By implementing Close Reading in your classroom, you can guide your students through deep understanding, engaged exploration, and creative reflection of any text. Close Reading helps the reader connect with the text, read the words, but also engage with them, to relate to the author and make connections.

During this workshop, Teachers will:

• Understand of the data based need for intentional reading instruction
• Engage with relevant research about the development of reading and writing skills for learners.
• Identify the importance of providing opportunities for students to engage with a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts.
• Explore a variety of supports and strategies available to implement close reading instruction.
• Plan and implement close reading lessons and instruction to meet the specific needs of their students.
• Experience an engaging close reading lesson first hand!

Close Reading Workshop Description:

As close readers, your students will be able readly text closely in order to comprehend the main idea, analyze the development of the main idea, interpret the author’s choices, and evaluate in order to form a creative response.

During this workshop, you will learn how to engage readers with texts that are matched to their interests and needs. You will be able to guide your students through close reading practices such as annotation, high level questioning, and collaboration with peers.

You will gain actionable knowledge and strategies you can take directly to your classroom. Close reading is a strategy that can be easily implemented for any and all text you include in instruction.