When it comes to your English texts, we know that many of them you would have likely never picked up otherwise. This means that reading them for your studies is not simple (or even painful). So we’ve compiled a guide on how to make the most from only a little extra work.

Happy Reading!

ONE: Read with the Assessment in Mind

Reading aimlessly will give you more work down the line. Before you open the pages, check:

  • What form of assessment the book will be required for (essay, presentation, creative interpretation, comparative?)
  • What are the central concepts/themes/ideas of the text? (e.g. identify, power, betrayal, hope, childhood etc). 

Knowing the basic analytical building blocks (key themes) and your final goal (assessment type) will help avoid reading blindly.

TWO: Read Actively

You can make your future self a go-to cheat sheet for analysis by doing some basic highlighting and annotating. If you do this on the first read through, you won’t have to go back through and trawl for evidence and quotes later on.

Grab a pencil and some highlighters:

  1. Mark key quotes (you know they are key because they are linked to the central themes you identified earlier)
  2. Note the themes as they appear
  3. Identify techniques used by the author, especially if they are repeated (symbolism, imagery, dialogue, setting, narrative POV)
  4. Jot down any questions you have, or major points of confusion

Active reading means you are engaging with the text as you read, you are noticing as messages are being told to the audience.

THREE: Track Characters, Themes, and Motifs

On a document or in a notebook, create three simple lists that you update as you read.

  1. Characters: What motivates them, how they change, key quotes. There is typically one key character that the story revolves around, their challenges, actions and motivations shape the key message of the story.
  2. Themes: and the moments that illustrate them
  3. Motifs & symbols: objects, images, or patterns that recur. 

All of these can and should be used as evidence in your final assessments. 

FOUR: Slow Down for Significant Moments

When you notice:

  • A turning point
  • A moment of tension
  • A symbolic object
  • A reveal 

STOP and reread the section. Ask yourself -> Why is this moment important? How does the author shape my response as the audience?

These moments often make the best evidence!

FIVE: Understand Context (Without Getting Lost in It)

Know:

  • The historical period the text is SET IN and PUBLISHED IN (Sometimes they are different!)
  • The author’s background
  • Cultural, political, or social issues at the time of publication or the setting of the book

This contextual information helps you understand why certain ideas appear in the text and the significance of them. It is important to remember to not fill up your final assessments with contextual paragraphs – tie context directly to your point.

SIX: Pay Attention to the FORM

Different forms of texts are prone to using different techniques. These techniques are often significant.

Novels typically play with characterisation, narrative voice and setting the most.

Plays like to use stage directions, dramatic irony and dialogue.

Films make the most of cinematography, sound, editing, mise en scene.

Students sometimes forget to analyse how the medium itself shapes meaning.

SEVEN: Read with Question Stems in Mind

If you are in Year 12, practice noticing links to common exam-style prompts:

  • How does he text explore…?
  • In what ways does the author represent…?
  • To what extent…?
  • How does character X challenge or reinforce…? 

This trains your brain for analytical reading.

EIGHT: Think About Authorial Choices

Ask these two questions constantly:

  1. Why did the author do this?
  2. How does this shape meaning or influence the reader? 

This is the difference between a Year 10-style summary and a Year 12 analytical paragraph.

NINE: Connect Ideas to the Real World

Your teachers will appreciate connections you make to:

  • Contemporary relevance
  • Personal reflection
  • Social commentary

When you see a theme ask:

Where does this still show up in society today? 

NOTE: There is really no ‘right’ way to read, just easier ones. If you don’t want to pick up the book, that’s ok, but you need to find a way to ingest the content. Audiobooks are a great way to do this! Put it on for your commute to school, while you’re doing your chores etc.