Benefits of a synthesis grid

To understand the benefits, you are going to look at a synthesis grid a student has constructed from sources for the essay question below.

The essay question

The following essay question is from the field of literacy development, on reading development in young children.

'Although it happens to individuals, learning to read is not an individual experience. It is a social experience involving shared time, shared perceptions and shared enjoyment'.

Examine whether current approaches to reading development in young children reflect this philosophy.

To see how this question has been interpreted by the student, look at:

Interpretation of the question

The synthesis grid

Below is the first half of a synthesis grid a student has been using to take notes for the essay question on reading development in young children.

What you put into your grid is what you will get out of it. Your aim is to end up with the best possible overview of your sources.

Things which seem important initially may not seem important later. Other things may become more important as you continue to read.

Don’t worry if you keep changing your headings or adding new columns to them. Researching and writing is a cyclical process involving continual adjustments.

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