How to Read a Short StoryFor enjoyment and analysis

Before the real reading begins• Look at the story’s title…what does the title tell you about

the content of the story?– What might this story be about?

– Jot down your first impression of the title to compare with your thoughts about the title after reading the story

Before the real reading begins

• Take inventory of any prior knowledge you have about the author, genre, setting etc…– Spend a few minutes reflecting and

thinking about what you already know and bring to the text.

• Establish a quest: –Read the first few paragraphs

and come up with a question that you will seek to answer as you read

Before the real reading begins

• Orient yourself: –Flip through the story to determine its

length. –Scan the opening sentences of

different paragraphs to gain a sense of where the story is set, how difficult the language is, and how long you should need to read the story.

Before the real reading begins

As you read…• Identify the main characters

– try to determine their needs, wants, motives, strengths & weaknesses

• Trace the plot:–Make a note of any important

events in the plot. What is each event’s significance?

As you read…

• Keep track of how much time passes in the story:– Some stories cover only a few moments

while others cover decades of time.

As you read…

• Note any important changes in characters or setting–These changes have been included deliberately and are undoubtedly crucial to the meaning of the story.

As you read…

• Pay attention to the setting: –Note how the setting evokes emotional reaction (dislike, enjoyment, fear, comfort, etc…)

As you read…

• Consider the story’s point of view:–Who is telling you the story?– Is the narrator reliable and

accurate? –Do you have to read “between

the lines” to determine what’s happening objectively?

As you read…

• Apply the steps of critical thinking to the story:

–Summary–Analysis–Synthesis–Evaluation

Once finished…

• Summarize the story:– Review what happened by making a

mental or written list of the important events

– Be sure you understand the progression of events

– Tell someone about the story by summarizing what happened

Once finished…Summarize

• Analyze the text:–Where are the important ideas in the text?

–Select a few passages that seem important and determine what they contribute to the story.

Once finished…Analyze

•Synthesize with other stories you’ve read: –How does the story compare

with other stories? –What elements are similar?

different?

Once finished…Synthesize

• Synthesize with other genres & ideas: –How is the story similar to films,

plays, poems, ad campaigns, TV shows etc…?

–Where else have you seen the story’s theme or similar characters?

Once finished…Synthesize

• Evaluate the story by applying specific criteria– Choose one element of the story

(character development, plot, point of view, setting, theme, symbol etc…) and evaluate it

Once finished…Evaluate

Be an active reader…

• Read to enjoy, but read actively.–Question as you read–Look for motives and patterns–Think about the author’s

intentions– Imagine how other readers might

respond to the text