The Close Reading Method

Close reading is the disciplined practice of examining a short passage in fine detail to understand how its language produces meaning and effect. In IB English A: Language and Literature, close reading is the engine behind nearly every assessment, from the individual oral to Paper 1's guided textual analysis. Rather than summarizing what a text says, close reading asks how a text says it, and why those choices matter to a reader.

From reading to re-reading

A first reading gives you the gist: the situation, the mood, the apparent subject. Close reading begins on the second and third passes, when you slow down and notice patterns the first reading glossed over. Skilled analysts treat every element of a text as a deliberate choice made by a writer trying to shape a response. A comma, a line b