The novel, as the most widely read form of written fiction today, is a key part of the English curriculum, and you’re going to read a lot of them across your schooling years. While it may seem difficult to do a ‘close study’ of one, it is a process which can be strategised and planned for.
In this guide, we’ll help you undertake a close study of a novel in 5 steps!
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in.
What makes a good close study of a novel?
Step 1: Do some background research
Step 2: Consider annotating and alternative mediums
Step 3: Read and reread your novel
Step 4: Make notes using TEA tables
Step 5: Conduct in-depth research of the context
Assessment Tips
What makes a good close study of a novel?
The novel, as the most widely read form of written fiction today, is a key part of the English curriculum, and you’re going to read a lot of them across your schooling years. While it may seem difficult to do a ‘close study’ of one, it is a process which can be strategised and planned for.
In this guide, we’ll help you undertake a close study of a novel in 5 steps!
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Do some background research
It’s a good idea to do some background research for your novel before you start reading it.
The most important things to know when approaching a new novel for study are the:
- Author
- Genre
- Some information about its context
It’s useful to have an idea of where and when the novel was published, as this will guide your expectations on the kind of language being used and your understanding of the ideas being presented.
These are things you can work out by reading the blurb in class, but it’s good to check you have some idea of what to expect before you jump in.
It’s also useful, to find out if you can, what texts you’ll be studying ahead of time, so you can start reading, and understand the focus of your study before you begin.
This could mean your class is focussing on a particular theme within the text or examining it in relation to a particular genre, and so, you know what you’re looking out for.
Step 2: Consider annotating and alternative mediums
Annotating means marking up the novel with a pen or pencil, underlining or highlighting important parts and making notes as you go.
It’s a useful practice to get into, as becoming used to annotating means you’re engaging with the text critically as you go along.
They can be as rough as you want, and it’s useful to mark parts of a text which stand out to you or which you think might be significant, even if it’s not clear why, or you don’t know how to express it yet.
Something else you may wish to consider is alternate mediums for reading your book. While if you’re studying it, you can’t substitute reading the book one way or another, but you may wish to get access to an audiobook copy of your book.
Listening to an audiobook regularly will speed up your understanding of the plot and characters, as well as get you used to the way language is used in the novel, particularly if you have difficulty with longer texts.
Step 3: Read and reread your novel
Annotating means marking up the novel with a pen or pencil, underlining or highlighting important parts and making notes as you go.
It’s a useful practice to get into, as becoming used to annotating means you’re engaging with the text critically as you go along.
They can be as rough as you want, and it’s useful to mark parts of a text which stand out to you or which you think might be significant, even if it’s not clear why, or you don’t know how to express it yet.
Something else you may wish to consider is alternate mediums for reading your book. While if you’re studying it, you can’t substitute reading the book one way or another, but you may wish to get access to an audiobook copy of your book.
Listening to an audiobook regularly will speed up your understanding of the plot and characters, as well as get you used to the way language is used in the novel, particularly if you have difficulty with longer texts.
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