Reading a source closely
Close reading means noticing choices. Every word a writer picked is a word they preferred to another one.
Part of your national curriculum
- Reading: Understand increasingly challenging texts, making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
- Reading: Read critically, knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
- Grammar and vocabulary: Study the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Analyse how writers use language for effect
Key learning points
- • Word choice and connotation
- • Purpose and audience
This lesson at a glance
- 20 minutes
- 12 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 12
Visual introductionPicture this
Reading a source closely
Close reading means noticing choices. Every word a writer picked is a word they preferred to another one.
In a nutshell
Analyse how writers use language for effect
Explore the idea
Part 2 of 12
Learn
Word choice and connotation
'Crowd', 'mob' and 'gathering' describe the same people with three different attitudes. Name the attitude, then quote the word that carries it.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 12
Learn
Purpose and audience
Ask who wrote this, for whom, and what they wanted the reader to do. A Tudor pamphlet selling a cure is not a neutral medical record.
Reset break
Part 4 of 12
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 5 of 12
Quick check
Part 6 of 12
Quick check
Part 7 of 12
Reset break
Part 8 of 12
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 9 of 12
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 10 of 12
Game · Recall cards
A character 'folded the letter twice and put it in her coat pocket without reading it'. What can you infer?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 11 of 12
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Reading a source closely
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. A character 'folded the letter twice and put it in her coat pocket without reading it'. What can you infer?
2. Which of these is the strongest use of evidence in an answer about a text?
3. 'Mob' rather than 'crowd' suggests the writer thinks the group is…
4. The first question to ask of any source is…
Lesson round-up
Part 12 of 12
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Points this lesson
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Best run
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Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 12 · Watch & discover
How this is going
- Not looked at yet
Understand increasingly challenging texts, making inferences and referring to evidence in the text
- Not looked at yet
Read critically, knowing how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, presents meaning
- Not looked at yet
Study the effectiveness and impact of the grammatical features of the texts they read