Read and Write Like and AP® Language Exam Reader

The Rhetorical Analysis Essay or FRQ 2 on the AP Language Exam is historically one of the most challenging parts of the exam. One reason is that the type of nonfiction passage used for the prompt is vast and unpredictable. From time period to letter, speech, eulogy, narrative nonfiction, etc. to defined versus undefined audience, the possibilities are endless. And let’s face it, students have spent most of their time in English classes reading fiction rather than nonfiction texts, so this sudden shift to analyzing nonfiction adds another layer of difficulty. Due to this lack of exposure and experience, shifting from analyzing literary elements to understanding the rhetorical situation and analyzing rhetorical choices can be intimidating. Finally, the task requires students to “analyze rhetorical choices.” Often, causing students to select rhetorical devices they can see and name and rather than carefully selecting and analyzing rhetorical choices that impact the speaker’s message and purpose.

So how can we help students develop skills and build confidence? First, we need to strengthen their close reading skills. Students need to be able to quickly understand the argument and purpose the speaker is conveying before they start identifying rhetorical choices. They also need a broader understanding of what constitutes a rhetorical choice so that they are not limited by named devices. Finally, they need a process that can be applied to any text to be prepared for what may appear on the AP exam. The Read like a Reader; Read like a Writer method fulfills all these roles.

Read like a Reader - The What

First, students need to read closely to understand the argument or message of the text. What is it all about? Who is speaking? What does the speaker want me to know or understand? When we read like a reader, we are focusing on understanding the content (ideas, events, feelings, etc.) or what the text specifically says. From the big picture to the fine details, students need to understand “what” the text is saying before they can explain how and why the writer makes choices.

Additionally, in this stage students should be prompted to connect with the text and begin to notice what the text makes them think about or feel. Extending beyond the text’s argument to consider the impact on the audience (in this case themselves), students can start to see the layers of the text’s argument that sets them up for identifying and analyzing choices later. Through the process of Reading like a Reader, students are building the habits of focusing on what the text is about and beginning to consider how these ideas impact an audience.

Read like a Writer - The How and Why

Next, students return to the text and read closely to notice the craft choices or moves the writer makes to convey the message or argument. How does the writer convey these ideas, make the reader think this way, or feel a particular emotion? Students consider the text’s organization and structure, look for patterns that develop or repeat, explore the significance of specific examples or evidence, and identify literary devices, specific diction, or syntax. In this stage of the process, the focus is on what the writer is doing. What actions or choices is the writer taking to convey their message? Additionally, students explain how these choices impact the message or argument and why the writer is making these specific choices (purpose). Essentially, students are linking the writer’s choices to elements of the writer’s argument and explaining the reason behind these choices.

When these two steps are combined, students are selecting writing choices that align with the writer’s central argument or claims rather than searching for writing choices at random as if they are on a scavenger hunt. They are better able to see how choices are linked to meaning and understand that writers make choices with purpose. And as an added bonus, this process works for any text: fiction, nonfiction, prose, verse, data charts and graphs, images or visual texts, etc. This one process can be refined and modified as students become more adept and confident and as they tackle longer and more complex texts.

The Read like a Reader; Read like a Writer Method

Before Class

• Select a text and make a copy for each student.
• Print a copy of the Read like a Reader; Read Like a Writer handout for each student.

In-Class Process

1. Hand out the text and a copy of the Read like a Reader; Read like a Writer questions to each student. If using a short text, have students tape or glue the text into their notebooks leaving enough space to write.
2. The teacher reads the text aloud to the class.
3. Explain that the purpose of Reading like a Reader is to understand a text’s message or argument. Point to the Book, Head, and Heart questions and explain how students can use these questions to understand the text.
4. Provide students with 3-4 minutes to quietly and independently re-read the text and use the questions on the handout to respond in their notebooks. Students should focus only on reading like a reader.
5. After 3-4 minutes, the teacher checks for understanding. This could be done as a large class, in groups, or with partners. Students report out or share their responses to the Read like a Reader questions.
6. The teacher then explains the purpose of Reading like a Writer and directs students to this portion of the handout. The goal is for students to focus on the how and why. What choices is the writer making to convey this message?
7. Again, the teacher gives students 2-3 minutes to quietly and independently return to the text and apply the Reading like a Writer questions by responding in their notebooks.
8. After the students have analyzed the text independently, the teacher asks the class: What choices do you see this writer making that impact their argument? Students volunteer responses as the teacher checks for understanding.
9. Finally, students reflect on the process by sharing how the process impacted their understanding of the text and what they could do differently next time to improve their thinking and responses.

Follow-up Activities

• Extension - Students extend their understanding by creating a visual that demonstrates the relationships among argument, choices, and impact. Students use images and text to represent how the choices impact both argument and impact.
• Application - Students use the text as a mentor or model to craft their own writing. They borrow the craft moves they identified in the Read like a Writer stage to craft a piece of writing using their own ideas and experiences.
• Reinforcement - Repeat the Read like a Reader and Read like a Writer process for several days in a row with different types of texts or mediums to reinforce skills and to demonstrate how this process works with prose, poetry, data tables and charts, images or photographs, videos, etc.
• Intervention - The teacher models the process by thinking aloud and using a document camera or on an interactive whiteboard so students can see and hear the teacher’s thought process.
• Start with fiction - Students are just more familiar with analyzing fiction than nonfiction, so start with a genre of comfort or a place of familiarity to learn the process. Once students are familiar with the process, shift to nonfiction.
• Keep it short - Start with shorter texts such as a poem or paragraph of prose. This allows you to focus on the process without spending a significant amount of time reading and processing the texts. Also, you can easily print a copy for students to add to their notebooks and annotate as they work through the process.
• Ease into argument - Select texts with relatively obvious or explicit arguments/messages at first. Again, this allows for students to learn the process before moving to more challenging texts with multiple or implicit arguments.
• Be strategic - Select texts that fit the season, point in the school year, or connect to the current unit to serve additional purposes such as establishing classroom community or as models for student writing.

Tips for Selecting Texts

• Start with fiction - Students are just more familiar with analyzing fiction than nonfiction, so start with a genre of comfort or a place of familiarity to learn the process. Once students are familiar with the process, shift to nonfiction.
• Keep it short - Start with shorter texts such as a poem or paragraph of prose. This allows you to focus on the process without spending a significant amount of time reading and processing the texts. Also, you can easily print a copy for students to add to their notebooks and annotate as they work through the process.
• Ease into argument - Select texts with relatively obvious or explicit arguments/messages at first. Again, this allows for students to learn the process before moving to more challenging texts with multiple or implicit arguments.
• Be strategic - Select texts that fit the season, point in the school year, or connect to the current unit to serve additional purposes such as establishing classroom community or as models for student writing.