What exactly do the Common Core standards mean by close reading? Essentially, close reading means to uncover 
layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension. The full meaning of close reading according to The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is:
“Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole.”
It is about getting readers to focus intently on the text- giving it a thorough examination to gather as much meaning as possible. Through close reading, readers are expected to focus on the information that a text provides, without relying on a lot of information or support. This is different from the “old ways” of teaching, when teachers taught by introducing a set purpose, discussions of students’ life experiences, picture walks, and so on. Close reading discourages this type of front-loading. The goal of close reading instruction is to create independent readers who are able to plumb the deepest parts of the text by considering only the text itself.
It is not just enough to understand what a text says. Close readers not only grasp an author’s message, but they also take a more in-depth look. Readers goals are to recognize the author’s tone or perspective, the implications of the author’s word choices. Readers should be able to go beyond a text, evaluating its quality or value, comparing it with other texts or figuring out implications.
Common Core envisions the transformation of all students in to thoughtful readers. It is a lot to ask of students, but with appropriate guidance and support, they can do it!
