Never Smile at a Monkey! Close Reading Practice

Nonfiction close reading can often be tricky for our elementary kiddos because many texts that we find are so long, it can be hard to help them truly focus on what’s important. I love introducing close reading by using mentor texts that include several topics in short paragraphs. One great book that does this is:

You will find one paragraph about eighteen different animals that can easily be used to compare and contrast, and of course, most importantly, hold their interest!

Below, I am sharing a nine-minute video that walks you through how to teach close reading and summarizing using this book. I demonstrate activities that are found in this free bonus resource in my TpT store. Enjoy!