This close read focus' in on "Children for the Colony of Jamestown". This gives guided questions, time to reflect and digs into the vocab. This is a great way to incorporate Marzano strategies alongside ELA annotated text strategies to increase gains by 35%. If your students are struggling with close reading or are still using highlighters (and highlighting the ENTIRE page), this will be extremely helpful. However, this will be useful even if they are old pros at annotating. Students will not only learn how to annotate and read deeply, they will also learn what information to look for depending on the genre. Teaching students how to read closely empowers them to become independent learners, and the importance of reading closely becomes clear in the first two words of the Common Core K-12 Anchor Standards: *CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. The step-by-step process is effective. It includes a gradual release of responsibility, which gives students confidence, as well as practice. Step 1: Teacher directs/models. Step 2: Students collaborate. Step 3: Independent practice. Annotating text can be amazing for students who have problems focusing and paying attention. Annotating keeps students focused, because it requires them to stay actively involved with the text. Annotating makes it difficult for students to drift off. It also enables the teacher to easily monitor attention issues and reading progress, by checking on the student’s annotations.