Kuunari

The series “Reading Notice and Note” features essays I wrote for a distance learning class while reading the book Notice & Note: Strategies for Close Reading by G. Kylene Beers and Robert E Probst. Overall, I found the book and the class enjoyable and hope this series helps others as they read and think about the book. 

Contrasts and Contradictions is an excellent concept to introduce the Notice and Note signposts to readers. As a fourth grade teacher who has received some training on the signposts, I have begun calling this signpost out for my students as we read texts together. As contrasts and contradictions appear in the text, we notice that the author is highlighting an important characteristic of or decision made by one of the main characters. I find that my instruction on this signpost needs to transition away from simply myself calling this signpost out to my students becoming better at seeing the signpost on their own. 

Contrasts and Contradictions are where something about a character or a setting is different than we might normally expect it to be. Readers will often be surprised or thrown off by a behavior or feature that could qualify as this signpost. As readers think about and discuss this signpost, the question, “why would the character act this way?” can help uncover the meaning behind the signpost. As I talk about this signpost with my students, I highlight the fact that because something is happening out of the ordinary, that is what makes the content or subject of the story interesting. 

With my fourth grade students, I am adequate at highlighting the signpost Contrasts and Contradictions during shared reading, but I have not yet given them the time or skill to transfer that knowledge to their own reading. My area of growth is to give my students time to look for and discuss Contrasts and Contradictions on their own while we are reading a book together. The focus question, “why would the character act(feel) this way?” is a great tool to help the students understand why identifying this signpost is important. I need to move away from having the students search for the signpost and towards being alert for. As they become more experienced finding this signpost during close readings, they will notice them more as they read for pleasure or in other settings. 

Contrasts and Contradictions is an important concept for close reading. As part of close readings of narrative texts, students need to be able to identify characters motivations, problems, and attributes as well as the author’s purpose, at least in fourth grade. This signpost helps the students notice when information about the characters motivations, problems, and attributes is being revealed by the author. Then, as we discuss the focus question, the students also start to think about why the author revealed the information about the character in this way. What about this signpost in the story is important and why did the author want us to notice it? This question can help drive deeper thinking from the readers as we discuss the signposts that they are noticing, helping them understand the role of the author in narrative texts. Also, this signpost can help the students understand what they can infer about the character as well as make predictions based on textual evidence. Finally, the signpost recognizes the role of the reader in making meaning from the text. The reader is the one noticing the contradiction in the text. Rather than the close reading being driven by the teacher, it is being driven by the student’s own comprehension of the text.