English // English Thinking
Author's word choices
Recognise how an author's deliberate choices — of words, structure, tone, and perspective — create particular effects on you as a reader
Quick check
When the learner reads a book or article, do they ever notice and comment on why the author chose to write it a certain way — and what effect that has on them as a reader?
Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.
Topic // Mastery
What mastery looks like
- authorial awareness research
- Understanding Author's Purpose (Firkins)
- collaborative multilayered text interpretation in 5-8 year olds
Topic // Map
Where this fits
- RequiredMust come first
- HelpfulHelps, but not essential
Before this
2 topics- Monitoring ComprehensionRequired
English Thinking // Ages 6 to 8
Recognising authorial effects requires reading for meaning rather than just decoding — you can only notice the effect of a word choice if you are genuinely engaging with meaning
- Connecting New & Old IdeasHelpful
Learning to Learn // Learning to Learn // Ages 7 to 8
Recognising how authorial choices create effects requires connecting your reading experience to existing knowledge of how language and texts work
You are here
Author's word choices
Ages 7 to 9 // Thinking skill
Leads to
2 topics- Reviewing Own WritingRequired
English Thinking // Ages 8 to 10
Evaluating whether your own writing creates an intended effect requires first understanding how authors' choices create effects on readers — reading like a writer before writing like a reader
Writing Composition // Ages 9 to 10
Identifying audience and purpose before writing requires understanding how authorial choices shape reader experience — you are now making those choices deliberately
English // English Thinking
More in English Thinking
- Inference vs Explicit MeaningAges 7 to 9Thinking skillDistinguish between what a text explicitly says and what you have inferred, assumed, or read in — knowing which is which is fundamental to honest comprehension
- Knowing What You Don't KnowAges 8 to 10Thinking skillMonitor your own vocabulary gaps — notice words you half-know, distinguish confident from uncertain knowledge, and develop strategies to resolve the uncertainty
- Reading for MeaningAges 5 to 6Thinking skillUnderstand that reading is about making meaning, not just saying words correctly — a text that can be decoded but not understood has not been read
- Reflecting on Your Language UseAges 10 to 11Thinking skillReflect on yourself as a language user — how your reading, writing, and speaking shift across audiences, purposes, and contexts, and where you want to develop…