Close Reading Exemplar Shared by Aspen Institute

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Aaron Grossman

The Aspen Institute posted a close reading exemplar of Russell Freedman’s The Voice that Challenged a Nation here. The format is quite similar to what Student Achievement Partners has shared as well as the exemplars we’ve posted on this site.

About Aaron Grossman

I am a 5th grade teacher at Roy Gomm Elementary in Reno, Nevada. I started working with elementary students as part of the Montana Reads program and AmeriCorps. In 2001, after graduating from the University of Montana and moving to Reno, Nevada, I student taught at Rita Cannan Elementary before receiving a 6th grade position at Veterans Elementary. I moved out of the classroom to be a Literacy Coordinator, then an Instructional Coach, and finally a School Improvement Program Coordinator. In 2011, I began working on the Nevada Academic Content Standards in the district’s Curriculum & Instruction Department. I returned to the classroom for the 2015-2016 school year to teach 4th grade at Huffaker Elementary. Before returning to the classroom, I helped develop the Core Task Project that has been featured by National Public Radio, the Gates Foundation, American Radio Works, Eduwonk, the Fordham Institute, Vox, and the Center for American Progress. In 2014, I received the Leader to Learn From Award for my teacher-centered initiative and work to bring college, career, and civics ready outcomes into Northern Nevada classrooms (here). In 2015, I was appointed by Governor Sandoval serve on the Statewide RPDP Council. The same year, Nevada’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction Steve Canavero placed me on the state’s State Improvement Team. This year I will be part of the National Council on Teacher Quality’s Teacher Advisory Group. I am Google Certified Educator and a Nevada Teacher Ambassador. I believe strongly that teaching content is teaching reading and I make sure my students have ample opportunities to work with social studies, history, science and art outcomes. I do what I can to blend the learning for my students and this blog is part of that effort. You can contact me at coretaskproject@gmail.com

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2 Responses to Close Reading Exemplar Shared by Aspen Institute

sundaycummins says:

April 26, 2013 at 1:32 am

Helpful example of what teachers can do with close reading. This lesson relies on the teacher to ask the questions to guide the close reading. Do you post lessons that teach students how to ask their own questions for a particular purpose that requires close reading? In other words, what is the generative value of the lesson you posted regarding students being able to engage in this type of reading for themselves?

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Aaron Grossman says:

April 26, 2013 at 2:31 am

Thank you for commenting. I’ve been to your blog. A log of great stuff.

We are focusing on teachers facilitating a process that enables all students to work with sufficiently complex text. We certainly know we are at the beginning of a long road but we are limited by amount of time we can work with teacher and budgets. Consequently, we are using open resource materials—exemplars built by Student Achievement Partners—and free video content that demonstrates how to do it.

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