AP English Language and Composition - Close Reading and Reader Response Summer Reading Assignment - Summer Reading 2017-2018

Sep 20, 2026

AP English Language and Composition Close Reading and Reader Response Summer Reading Assignment outlines summer reading expectations for nonfiction essays. Students are instructed to read multiple times, pre-read to determine meaning and author purpose, and then annotate using a structured method. The log must include summaries, interpretations, audience clues, evaluation of effectiveness, and three discussion questions. Marginal notes should capture questions, connotative meanings, rhetorical devices, motifs, diction, syntax, and contextual connections to support class discussions, seminars, writing, analyses, research, and exam responses.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Close Reading and Reader Response Summer Reading Assignment

Summer Reading Texts and Pre-reading Steps

After Rereading: Impressions in the Reading Log

Annotation: Essential Marking Methods

In-the-Margins Requirements

The Reading Log Components

Developing Discussion Questions

Ms. Dach, Ms. Davenport, Ms. Covington AP English Language and Composition Close Reading and Reader Response Summer Reading Assignment During this year we will focus on numerous essays, articles, and other works of nonfiction. These works invite analysis beyond simple literal interpretation. To derive the greatest benefit from this course, you will have to be alert and focused while you read. You must read these texts closely; therefore, you will not want to put off your reading until the last minute. They are short pieces, so you should read them more than once. Because AP English Language and Composition is a college-level course, you must annotate your texts and you should record your engagement with the literature in your log. Beginning at the bottom of this page, you will find specific strategies for annotating texts as well as the expectations for the log. Visit the North Garland HS website, go to “Academics,” then click the link for “Summer Reading 2017-2018.” All required texts and instructions are located here. ● 1. Read “Introduction to Reading Like a Writer” and “Reading Like a Reader vs. Reading Like a Writer in Practice before tackling the essays. ● 2. Pre-read each essay (“Shame,” “On Dumpster Diving,” and “How to Know if You're Dead”); develop an understanding of the text’s meaning and ascertain the author’s purpose. Write a short summary of each text in your log. ● 3. After you reread and annotate, write your impressions in your log. Include your dislikes and likes, any questions that arise, points that you find difficult to understand and the reasons why, as well as any revelations or reflections. ● 4. Look for patterns and repetitions (motifs), and recurring elements within the text including images, phrases, and situations. Ask yourself why the author may have used these repetitions. How do they affect you as the reader? How do they help accomplish the author’s purpose? ● 5. Identify any passages and rhetorical devices that strike you as highly significant and explain why. How does this use of language contribute to the overall meaning of the text? How does the language contribute to the development of a concept? How does the language achieve the author’s purpose? ● 6. Identify unusual syntax and specific diction that strike you as highly significant. What effect does the author achieve by arranging the sentence that way? Why does he/she choose that specific word? Note unfamiliar vocabulary in your log. ● 7. Think about how elements of this text can relate to other texts that you have read. ● 8. Read the text in context – consider the time period in which it was written and the social and political atmosphere. How does the author reveal these contextual elements in the text? Does the author effectively reveal a particular position on an issue? What word choices does the other make to accomplish this? ● 9. What other methods stand out to you as effective in the accomplishment of the author’s purpose? Before annotating, pre-read the text to discover the themes, points, language and rhetorical strategies the author uses in developing meaning in the text. Annotating Annotating is essential for close and critical reading of texts in preparation for class discussions, seminars, writing assignments, analyses, research, and test/exam responses. Never fail to take the time to mark up a tex! Get in the habit of reading with a pen or pencil in your hand. Establishing a structured method of annotating will assist you in college and the business world, situations where close reading contributes to success. Furthermore, annotating helps you dissect difficult texts and discern meaning from them. Many students have practiced a rather free-form method of annotation and highlighting, making their texts look pretty, but providing little utility when it comes to understanding the meaning. We tend to get lost in the muck or forget why we marked something. Some common methods of annotating are prov

FAQs

What are the main goals of the summer reading for AP English Language and Composition?

The assignment builds students’ ability to read nonfiction closely and critically, moving beyond literal interpretation to analyze language, rhetorical strategies, and author purpose.

What should students do before tackling the main essays?

Students should read the assigned introduction strategies first, then pre-read each essay to understand meaning and ascertain the author’s purpose.

What must be included in each reading log entry?

Each log entry must include a summary of major points, an interpretation of the author’s purpose, the intended primary audience with evidence, an opinion on the text’s effectiveness, and three discussion questions.

Sep 20, 2026

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