Reading for Meaning - Toynbee School · Reading for Meaning Author: Boardworks Ltd Subject: KS3...

© Boardworks Ltd 2003 1 of 18

Reading for Meaning

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Reading for meaning

Select a book to read.

This presentation will help you:

practise identifying and sequencing (putting in

the right order) the main events in a story.

to engage with a story.


Here are some guidelines :

Select a book you haven’t read before.

Choose carefully: once you start you

must stick with it.

It will help if it has plenty of characters, dialogue

and action.

It needs chapters which are not too long.

Sometimes you will need to be able to read one

and write about it in one lesson.

Choosing a book


You will also need to keep a

reading log.

You should record your

thoughts, feelings, questions,

speculations etc. in this log as

you read each chapter of your

book.

The record should reflect your

emerging understanding of the

book you are reading.

Reading log


Chapter one


Characters


Reading on


Is your book written by a character in the story (the 1st

person: “I thought this. I did that.”)?

Or is it written by a narrator (the 3rd person “He thought

this. She did that.”)?

Narrative perspective

Decide on the narrative perspective of these two extracts:

I find people confusing.

This is for two main reasons.

The first main reason is that people do a lot of talking without

using any words. From the curious incident of the dog in the night-time © Mark Haddon, 2003

George’s hand remained outstretched imperiously. Slowly, like a

terrier who doesn’t want to bring a ball back to his master, Lennie

approached, drew back, approached again. From Of Mice and Men © John Steinbeck, 1965

1st

3rd


Narrative perspective


As we become more mature in our reading we begin to

judge the characters and the person telling the story.

You don’t have to agree with what a character thinks,

feels or does.

Even if they did, that wouldn’t mean that YOU had to. Not everything in a book is a fact. They are full of people’s

opinions. You must be prepared for these.

Narrators don’t have to agree with everything the

characters they are writing about, feel or think.

Judging what we read


Sometimes authors don’t mean what they say. In fact,

sometimes they mean the exact opposite. A crude form of

this is sarcasm. Irony is the same type of thing but much

subtler. It is often rather funny.

A really famous example is the

opening line of Jane Austen’s

Pride and Prejudice. This is what

she says:

Irony

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a

single man in possession of a good fortune, must

be in want of a wife.


She appears to be saying that everybody knows that

any bachelor who has a lot of money MUST be

looking for a woman to marry.

But, as we read the story we learn that

these words are spoken ironically.

They aren’t really Austen’s opinions.

She is paraphrasing the thought

processes of a rather silly woman who

has several daughters she would like to

marry off to a rather rich man who is

visiting her neighbourhood!

Irony


Stories tell us of events that happen, usually to people

but sometimes to animals.

Often they have a message or something they want to

explore or think about.

We call this the theme.

Theme

What do you think the theme of the book you’re

reading is?


Remember the story of the race between the hare and

the tortoise?

Theme


The hare became over-confident because he thought

he would win easily. So, he kept stopping. In the end,

the tortoise won.

The story has a theme.

What do you think it was?

It is that perseverance can lead to success.

Theme


Love is a popular theme. Writers often try to show different

types of love.

Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird shows the love that can

exist between parents and children.

Barry Hines’ Kes examines the love that a person can feel

for an animal.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet looks at love between

young people.

In Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare looks at love

between two people approaching middle age.

Theme


Theme

As a class you will now need to find out what the themes,

ideas and values are in each other’s books.

Then form a group with others whose books dealt with

similar themes. For example, those whose theme is love

should work together. As a group compare the different

ways different writers have dealt with the theme.

Prepare a statement from your group about the different

things different writers have said and thought about your

theme.


Careful readers do not just sit back and let

the story flow over them.

They:

think about what they are reading

make deductions

consider the attitudes expressed by the

author and the characters

watch out for irony

compare how different writers approach

the same themes and subjects.

To sum up

Reading for Meaning - Toynbee School · Reading for Meaning Author: Boardworks Ltd Subject: KS3...

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