5 Strategies for Analyzing Texts

In order for a reader to be able to read and understand a text there is a great deal of work that they must do in their head. As shared in The Importance of Strategies, readers use a variety of strategic actions and strategies to process what they are reading.  Analyzing is one of twelve strategic action we will explore in this Strategic Action Series. 

Strategies Change Over Time

When young children begin reading, they may use very simple strategies like memorizing or remembering the words in a story and reciting them as they see the pictures. As they learn more about letters, words, and books, they will begin using strategies like:

• Pausing when something doesn’t make sense (self-monitoring)
• Looking at the picture, thinking about the sentence, and looking at the first letters to make sure what they have read “looks right,” “sounds right,” and “makes sense.” (cross-checking sources of information)
• Reread a word to read it correctly when they misread the word the first time. (self-correcting)

As young readers have more and more time to read and experience books, they develop their ability to use more sophisticated strategic actions as they read.

IMPORTANT REMINDER

It is important to note that readers use strategic actions simultaneously. Unfortunately, many children view them as separate actions or even as their goal of their reading. This may be the case if you’ve ever heard your child say, “This week I am inferring.”  This happens when strategies are talked about in isolation or if your child does most of their strategy work with worksheets. Even though we may attempt to strengthen a strategic action by talking about it in isolation, it is always important to remind your child that they use many strategic actions and strategies to understand what we are reading.

Here is an example shared by Fountas and Pinnell in Guided Reading (2e) 

• A child who is monitoring her understanding of key words might solve one by taking it apart by syllables, connectto known words, gain insight into or infer the motives of a character, and predict what the character will do to resolve the problem she has analyzed.

Even though these actions are listed in a sequence, many take place simultaneously. Our brains can work so quickly and can do such much.

Now let’s take a look at Analyzing, a strategic action identified by Fountas and Pinnell (Literacy Continuum, Expanded Edition, 2017).

Analyzing

Reading is not only about reading a text with accuracy and comprehension; readers also need to think analytically about the text. To analyze a text, readers look at the characteristics of a text (how a writer organized and crafted the text). Early readers can analyze texts by noticing how a writer or illustrator created a silly character. As readers become more sophisticated, readers will need to notice and understand the nuances of the writer’s craft.

To learn more about how we approach think about texts, visit this post: Develop Critical Thinking Skills and Analyze Texts – Start Young

Check out the Reading Level Specific Posts  to see questions you can ask or prompts you can give to support your child’s use of this strategic action.

5 Fantastic Strategies to Analyzing

1. Now What Do You Think?

Great for Reading Levels M and up

Strategy Steps

1. Gather several books on the same topic. (Librarians can be a great resource for this)
2. After reading each of the books, think about how the authors describe the topic.
   • You can think about:
     • their word choice,
     • the images they choose,
     • the information they include or
     • the information they leave out.
3. Compare and contrast how the authors present the topic.
4. Now think, “what do I think about this topic?”

You can prompt your child to consider several authors’ perspectives by asking the following questions:

• What is this author’s perspective on the topic?
• How does this author present the topic compared to this one?
• Do these authors present the topic in a different way? How?
• Which idea do you think is more logical or persuasive?
• Which idea can you back up with the most details?

2. What is the Author’s Purpose?

Great for Reading Levels O and up

Strategy Steps

1. Read the author’s bio and/or any information provided about the author on the back cover of the book.
2. After learning about the author, think about what this topic means to the author based on his or her background.
3. As you read the book, keep in mind the author’s background and think about what facts are being included and what facts are not included.
4. Look for opinion words or descriptions as you read. Any words or phrases that show bias or lead you to think a certain way about the topic.
   • Examples of opinion words:
     • Fair/unfair
     • Right/wrong
     • Brave/coward
     • Deserves
     • Should
     • Cause, responsible

You can prompt your child to pay attention to the author’s purpose by asking the following questions:

• What do you know about the author?
• What does the author’s background tell you about ?
• Do you see any opinion words?
• Why do you think the author included the facts that he/she did?

3. Author’s Perspective

Great for Reading Levels O and up

 Strategy Steps

1. Read the title.
2. Identify the topic (bears, machines, etc.)
3. Read the first and last paragraph.
4. Then think, “What is the author’s perspective?” or “What is the author saying?”
5. Go back to the beginning of the text to read the whole text.
6. While you read the entire text, note the facts and details that connect with the main idea.
7. Consider whether or not you need to revise your main idea based on the facts and details you noticed in the text.

You can prompt your child to consider the author’s perspective by asking the following questions:

• What words give you hints about the author’s perspective?
• Think about the topic, what is an idea the author gives you about this topic?
• After reading more, do you need to revise your main idea?
• Do the details you read fit with the main idea?

 4. To Whom is This Important?

Great for any Reading Levels M and up

 Strategy Steps

1. After reading, consider what you think about the topic.
2. Write down what you think is the most important idea about this topic.
3. Next, write down what you think the author thinks is the most important idea.
4. Go back into the text and see which idea (yours or the author’s) is supported by more details in the text.

You can prompt your child to pay attention to the idea supported by the text by asking the following questions:

• What do you think is the main idea?
• What facts/details support that main idea?
• Is that what this text is mostly about?
• Do most of the details support that main idea?
• What is different about your idea and what you think the author’s might be?

 5. Tricky Persuasion

Great for Reading Levels P and up

 Strategy Steps

1. Approach nonfiction texts knowing that sometimes the author is trying to convince you of an idea.
2. As you read, pay close attention to what persuasion techniques the author might use. Examples of persuasion techniques:
   • Talking right to you (the reader)
   • Asking you questions
   • Repeating the claim
   • Acting like your friend
   • Putting distance between you and others (they, them, those)

You can prompt your child to recognize persuasion by asking the following questions:

• Do you see anything that doesn’t look like a fact?
• How is this information being presented?
• What do you notice about the author’s word choice?
• Who does the author seem to side with?
• Do you notice any opinion words?

Check out these posts for more strategies to support strategic actions:

• Searching for and Using Information
• Solving words
• Maintaining Fluency
• Adjusting
• Summarizing
• Predicting
• Making Connections
• Synthesizing
• Inferring
• Critiquing
• Monitoring and Self-correcting

Resources:

• Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2017). Guided reading: Responsive teaching across the grades. Heinemann.
• Pinnell, G. S., & Fountas, I. C. (2007). The Continuum of Literacy Learning, Grades K-8: Behaviors and Understandings to Notice, Teach, and Support. Heinemann.
• Serravallo, J. (2015). The reading strategies book: Your everything guide to developing skilled readers (Vol. 11). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.