Text-Dependent Questions, Grades 6-12: Pathways to Close and Critical Reading

by Douglas B. Fisher, Nancy Frey, Heather L. Anderson

Fisher & Frey’s answer to close and critical reading Learn the best ways to use text-dependent questions as scaffolds during close reading and the big understandings they yield. But that’s just for starters. Fisher and Frey also include illustrative video, texts and questions, cross-curricular examples, and an online facilitator’s guide―making the two volumes of TDQ a potent professional development tool across all of K–12. The genius of TDQ is the way Fisher and Frey break down the process into four cognitive pathways:

Genres: Education, Teaching

328 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2014

Reviews

[Nichole]

This was a good and helpful book, it's just not a sitting down and reading book. It's better as a reference. And now that I know its points and structure, I can go back and reference it any time I need to.

[Leland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fisher and Frey's method for eliciting deeper meaning is a fundamentally sound text for all areas of inquiry and all disciplines.

[Wendie Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a book that is very helpful in creating lessons that mean something to kids as well as help them to meet standards. A win-win for both student and teacher.

[Renee Doucette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a professional development workshop series focused on cross-disciplinary literacy in my state. The way the authors broke down the categories or parts into questions to digest texts made sense for me. They also gave me some ideas to rethink about what order I teach aspects of a text.

The examples at the end of each chapter were helpful, but I feel like the author's tried to cover so many content areas and grade spans that they weren't as effective for readers. Yes, I gleaned an idea or two from a non-English section here and there, but I would have preferred more in depth examples that are relevant to my teaching. This is one of the frustrating parts of reading a generalized literacy book, but I'm glad that the authors presented what many ELA teachers already do to a fresh (and often nonfiction based!) audience.

[Dr. Stephanie Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through chapter and I agree with the line up and way to engage the student. I like how the standards are being blended together.
Very applicable stuff. A handful of resources that I am ready to use with my classes.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything written by Doug and Nancy (and Heather and Marisol) is gold. No bias here. :). Great resource with helpful tools for professional development!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smart.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource with great ideas! Very clear and straight forward

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better PL books I've read for making strategic changes to the way we approached reading in my class.