Overview

Students work with a double-line-spaced extract and write a single sentence of analysis beneath each line, exploring meaning that could come from connections, questions, visualisations or observations about the author's intent. This is particularly effective with poetry. The line-by-line approach forces students to dwell on the text and prevents them from rushing to a superficial first response.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the text extract with double line spacing so there is a blank line beneath each line of text.
2. Read the extract aloud as a class first.
3. Students re-read independently, writing one sentence of analysis in the blank space beneath each line.
4. The analysis can be anything: a connection, a question, a visualisation, an inference about author intent, a comment on word choice.
5. Students share their annotations in pairs, noting where their analyses overlap or diverge.
6. Discuss as a class: Which lines generated the richest analysis? Why?

Tips

• This works especially well with poetry, speeches, and richly written prose passages.
• If students struggle, prompt them: "What did the author want you to feel here?" or "Why did the author choose this word?"
• Keep the extract short — 10–15 lines is ideal for this level of close analysis.

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