notice and note signposts pdf
Kylene Beers and Bob Probst’s Notice and Note strategy introduces 6 signposts that guide readers to significant moments in texts, fostering close reading and deeper analysis.
Overview of the Notice and Note Strategy
The Notice and Note strategy, developed by Kylene Beers and Bob Probst, is a powerful approach to close reading that equips readers with tools to identify and explore significant moments in texts. By focusing on 6 key signposts, readers learn to recognize patterns, contradictions, and pivotal events that reveal deeper meanings. This method encourages students to engage deeply with texts, question assumptions, and support interpretations with evidence. The strategy is flexible, applicable to both fiction and nonfiction, and helps students develop critical thinking and analytical skills. Teachers introduce the signposts one at a time, providing guidance on how to spot them and respond thoughtfully. The goal is to empower readers to uncover insights independently, making reading a more active and enriching experience. This approach is supported by practical resources, such as bookmarks and tracking sheets, to reinforce learning.
Importance of Signposts in Close Reading
The signposts in the Notice and Note strategy are essential for effective close reading, as they guide readers to pause, reflect, and delve deeper into the text. These markers highlight crucial moments, such as contrasts, revelations, or repeated patterns, that often carry significant meaning. By identifying these signposts, readers can uncover themes, character motivations, and the author’s purpose. Signposts encourage active engagement, prompting students to ask questions and seek evidence to support their interpretations. This approach not only enhances comprehension but also fosters critical thinking and analytical skills. The systematic use of signposts ensures that readers do not overlook key details, making close reading a more structured and meaningful process. Ultimately, signposts empower readers to construct a richer understanding of the text, transforming reading into an exploratory and insightful experience.
Fiction Signposts
The Fiction Signposts include Contrasts and Contradictions, Aha Moment, Tough Questions, Words of the Wiser, Again and Again, and Memory Moment, guiding readers to significant story elements and themes.
Contrasts and Contradictions
Contrasts and Contradictions occur when a character’s actions or thoughts oppose expectations or earlier behaviors. This signpost alerts readers to unexpected shifts, revealing deeper motivations or conflicts. For example, if a typically selfish character suddenly acts selflessly, it signals a significant moment. Readers should ask, “Why is the character acting this way?” to uncover underlying themes or changes in the character’s development. This signpost encourages close analysis of inconsistencies, helping readers understand the character’s growth and the story’s meaning. By identifying such contrasts, students can better interpret the author’s intent and the text’s complexity, making it a powerful tool for engaging with fiction; This strategy enhances critical thinking and supports a richer understanding of literary elements.
Aha Moment
The Aha Moment is a sudden realization or insight that changes a character’s understanding or perspective. This signpost often shifts the plot or reveals a character’s growth. For example, when a character discovers a hidden truth or solves a mystery, it creates a turning point. Readers should ask, “Why is this moment important?” to understand its impact on the story. This signpost helps students recognize how characters evolve and how key moments influence the narrative. By identifying these moments, readers can better grasp the text’s themes and the author’s message. The Aha Moment is a powerful tool for connecting with the story and understanding its deeper meaning, making it a crucial part of close reading strategies. This signpost encourages readers to reflect on how such realizations shape the story’s direction and character development.
Tough Questions
Tough Questions occur when a character confronts a difficult decision, moral dilemma, or confusing situation, often pausing to reflect or question their circumstances. These moments are crucial as they reveal the character’s inner conflicts and drive the plot forward. Readers should ask, “What question is the character asking?” and “Why is this question important?” to uncover deeper themes. This signpost encourages students to engage with the character’s struggles and consider the implications of their choices. By identifying Tough Questions, readers gain insight into the character’s motivations and the author’s message. This strategy helps students develop critical thinking skills by exploring how questions shape the narrative and its outcomes. It also fosters empathy as readers connect with the character’s challenges and uncertainties.
Words of the Wiser
Words of the Wiser occur when a knowledgeable or experienced character offers advice, shares wisdom, or provides insight to the main character. This signpost is significant as it often serves as a turning point, influencing the main character’s decisions or understanding. Readers should ask, “What wisdom is being shared?” and “How might this advice impact the character?” to explore its relevance; This strategy highlights the importance of mentorship and guidance in shaping the narrative. By analyzing Words of the Wiser, students can uncover themes related to growth, morality, and decision-making. It encourages readers to reflect on how advice from others can influence their own lives and choices, fostering a deeper connection with the text and its characters.
Again and Again
When a text repeats certain words, phrases, or ideas, it signals the Again and Again signpost. This repetition is a deliberate choice by the author to emphasize a theme, motif, or significant message. By identifying these patterns, readers can uncover deeper meanings and connections within the narrative. It prompts readers to question the purpose behind the repetition and explore the author’s intent. This signpost is crucial as it highlights the text’s underlying structure and themes, aiding in a more comprehensive understanding. Recognizing Again and Again enhances close reading skills and enriches the reading experience by revealing the author’s emphasis on key elements.
Memory Moment
A Memory Moment occurs when a character’s past experience or memory is brought into the present narrative, often influencing their actions or decisions. This signpost is significant because it reveals how past events shape the character’s motivations, beliefs, or relationships. When a character reflects on a memory, it provides insight into their emotional state or backstory, which may not be explicitly stated elsewhere in the text. Readers should ask themselves why the author chose to include this memory and how it connects to the current plot or themes. By stopping to analyze these moments, readers gain a deeper understanding of the character’s development and the author’s purpose. This signpost encourages readers to explore how memories influence the present and contribute to the story’s meaning. Identifying Memory Moments enhances the reader’s ability to interpret the text more fully and make meaningful connections.
Nonfiction Signposts
Nonfiction Signposts help readers identify key elements like expert opinions, data, and citations, guiding them to analyze the author’s arguments and evidence effectively in nonfiction texts.
Quoted Words
Quoted Words in nonfiction texts occur when an author cites someone else’s words, such as experts, eyewitnesses, or historical figures. These quotes are often used to support the author’s argument, provide credibility, or offer alternative perspectives. When encountering this signpost, readers should ask themselves: Why did the author choose this particular quote? or How does it relate to the main idea? This strategy helps readers uncover the author’s purpose, bias, or underlying message. By focusing on quoted words, students can better understand how evidence is used to build persuasive or informative texts. This signpost encourages critical thinking about the role of external voices in shaping the author’s narrative.
Numbers and Stats
Numbers and Stats are a crucial signpost in nonfiction texts, often used to quantify information, highlight trends, or emphasize the significance of data. Authors incorporate specific numbers or statistics to support their claims, compare ideas, or illustrate patterns. When readers encounter this signpost, they should pause to ask: Why did the author include these specific numbers? or How do they contribute to the overall argument? This strategy helps students recognize how data is used to persuade or inform. By analyzing numbers and stats, readers gain insight into the author’s purpose and the evidence supporting their conclusions. This signpost encourages critical thinking about the role of data in shaping the text’s message and validity.