Not only would I consider Notice & Note an essential and valuable resource for any English Language Arts teacher, but I also plan on using the text in my own future instruction. As a whole, Notice & Note offers highly practical, student-centered approaches to reading texts more closely and critically. One of the best tools it offers is the “signpost” concept for reading literature—that teachers can help students ask texts critical questions that build effective close reading habits. Additionally, Beers and Probst offer countless questions, activities, and lesson ideas that teachers can incorporate into their instruction to build upon the literary signposts—and therefore help students to become better close readers. One reason I think this book is especially useful is because of its timeliness; with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, in which learning to read text closely is especially valued now more than ever, this text is nothing short of a godsend. With its simple and straight-to-the-point language and textual structure, along with its accompanying appendices containing useful and easy to use class activity, I contend that this text should be in every ELA teacher’s possession.
As an ELA teacher-in-training, I often busy myself with collecting various resources that will be useful to me before and while I begin my teaching experience. Always trying to acquire and appropriate simple, practical and thought-provoking lesson ideas that are effective and helpful for students, I was happy to have come across the “signposts” and “anchor questions” concepts in the text—two ideas I think we can all benefit from as future ELA teachers. The signposts, as I have mentioned earlier, serve as literary nodes which students can learn to intuitively follow (using some of the questions provided by the text) to not only read their texts more closely, but to get into the habit of asking relevant questions and looking for key details. Some examples of signposts would include the “Aha Moment,” in which a character in a text is personally changed by a profound realization or experience (71), or, similarly, “Contrasts and Contradictions,” in which thoughts or actions of a character contradict what the reader might normally expect (71). Additionally, the anchor questions provided with each signpost—such as “Why might the author bring this up again and again?” or “Why might this memory be important?”—help keep students on point when reading for signposts (76). In addition to providing teachers with these tools, the text also provides supplementary materials used for teaching students to recognize and work with the signposts; this is provided in the form of lesson ideas listed next to each signpost, as well as corresponding lesson activities provided in the appendix.
I find the methods the text provides for teaching each of the signposts to be especially useful. It offers simple and realistic explanations we can provide to our students to explain each signpost—such as getting students to realize the importance of patterns in everyday communication for the “Again and Again” signpost (163-4). It then provides ways for us to incorporate the signpost into our instruction, as well as ways students can practically apply the learned knowledge with their work. It provides teachers with examples from popular texts (mostly canonical, but useful nonetheless). On the subject of popular texts, Notice & Note also provides teachers with ways of assessing the complexity of texts, and provides information teachers will need to help plan the instruction of their chosen text(s) using the signposts and anchor questions. I found this to be an especially useful tool, as well. Overall, though, I think that Notice & Note is an excellent tool that every ELA teacher should have, as it equips teachers with the tools they need to more effectively teach close reading and comprehension to students.
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I purchased it brand new, rather than used because I wanted a brand new book.
Book arrived in horrible shape. 😞 I purchased it brand new, rather than used because I wanted a brand new book
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2015
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Top reviews from other countries
- R. BennettReviewed in Canada on October 16, 2021
Finally something they ALL UNDERSTAND from the get go.
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- Colin's momReviewed in Canada on January 12, 2018
Put it to use right away- made a huge difference ...
