Testimonials
Carol Fasick - English teacher at Northside High School in Columbus, GA
Mrs. Fasick teaches 9th grade inclusion classes, meaning her classes include both general ed students, as well as special ed students. She uses the Close Reading Triangle regularly with her low-performing students and sees great results. She says, "Sheryl's Close Reading Triangle has changed the way I teach my English classes. The CRT is a close reading method that students understand and enjoy, and it can easily be adapted to any lesson to enhance annotation and comprehension skills. I thank her for sharing the CRT. What a wonderful idea! The students really do enjoy using it, and they have learned so much from it!"
Angela Shumate - Algebra teacher at Jordan Vocational High School in Columbus, GA
"In a math classroom, the Close Reading Triangle specifically provides a process for teachers and students to use to fully comprehend a passage. For example, when reading a paragraph of information related to systems of equations, students must be able to comprehend the situation in order to decide what information must be used to write a system of equations. Then based on the system, they must decide the best method to use in order to solve the system. Our new standards take things a step further. Now, students are asked to explain why they chose that method. Using Ms. Green’s Reading Triangle, students can dissect the situation by writing specifics from the text in Level 1. I am able to witness the benefits of utilizing one method to address reading and writing even in my math class. It is vital for all teachers, no matter the content, to have tools such as the Reading and Writing Triangles to aide them in teaching the necessary literary skills our students need to succeed."
Kathryn Hill-Girard - East Gresham Elementary School in Gresham, Oregon
Kathryn Hill-Girard is a second-year fifth grade teacher in Oregon. Her students were demonstrating a lack of enthusiasm and an inability to write — even just a paragraph. She says, "Developmentally, elementary students are at a stage where it is difficult to make the transition from concrete to abstract thinking. However, the triangle provides them with a clear picture of where they are headed — allowing them to shift their thinking from concrete to abstract. Incorporating the triangle into our classroom completely turned the tides in terms of my student’s writing capabilities. We went from begrudgingly writing a poorly organized paragraph to enthusiastically creating multi-paragraph essays. The triangle was a simple and effective way to increase the student’s confidence in their ability to write and the rigor in which they wrote. Their essay responses suddenly became clear, well crafted and reflected deep thinking as they now had a clear plan of action to get their thoughts down on paper. My students are very excited to continue using this strategy and have asked for copies to take with them to middle school."
Jennifer Gray - English teacher at Northside High School in Columbus, Georgia
When Mrs. Gray was first exposed to the Close Reading Triangle, she was taken aback by the simplicity. She writes, "I did not expect to have Sheryl completely change the way I have taught literature for years! Why, oh why, had I not thought of breaking it down in such a way? Her ideas are ingenious, yet so simple! I thought techniques only work if they are complicated, and this seemed way too easy. I went back to school right before our standardized testing and decided to implement her ideas. The way I thought and the way my students looked at literature changed, all because of a triangle."
“I like everything about the Writing Triangle. It helps me a lot when I’m writing. I think it’s really easy to put my thoughts into it. Then when I’m all done, it’s easy to write my essay.”
Amelya B. - 5th Grade Student
East Gresham Elementary, Gresham, Oregon