ABSTRACT
In elementary classrooms, with the ever-rising emphasis on standardized testing, living and working in the moment is challenging, whether reading a bedtime story to a beloved child or teaching a comprehension lesson. In schools, there are many children who read in the same way young Richard’s companion watched birds—that is, who do not pay close attention to the text or notice its subtleties. Rereading is very much like taking a deep breath. Our breath is essential and always with us, just as finding meaning is the essential and ongoing purpose of reading. Deep Breathing lessons offer students a metaphor that helps them read closely. The objective of a Deep Breathing lesson is to help children recognize the virtues of rereading to discover the nuances of a text.
