- 1. Theme
- Theme is an underlying meaning or message of a story. A story
can have more than one theme.
- Themes can be statements, lessons, or generalizations that
stand on their own such as: Life is what you make of it.
2. Theme
- Sometimes the author states a theme directly.
- Sometimes readers have to figure out a theme on their own by
asking, What did I learn by reading this story?
- Look for evidence in the story to support the theme or
themes.
3. Steps in a Process
- The actions you take to reach a goal or make something are the
steps in a process.
- Sometimes steps in a process are shown by numbers or clue words
such as first, next, then, and last.If there are no clues, use
common sense to picture the steps.
4. Steps in a Process
- If you picture the result, youll understand why each step is
necessary.
- Identifying steps in a process will help you solve problems and
follow directions.
5. Cause and Effect
- A cause is why something happens. An effect is what
happens.
- When you read sometimes clue words such as because and since
signal a cause and effect relationship.Sometimes there are no clue
words.
- Sometimes the author does not tell a cause, and you need to
think about why something happened.
- A cause may have more than one effect, and an effect may have
more than one cause.
6. Plot
- A plot includes the important events that happen in a
story.
- Identifying the plot will help you understand the story
better.
- A plot usually had a conflict or problem, rising action,
climax, and an outcome or resolution.
- As you read, you can write the most important event on a story
map to keep the plot structure organized
7. Conflict
- Conflict is the storys main problem.The conflict can be within
a character, between two characters, or between a character and
nature.
8. Rising Action
- During the rising action, one event follows another.Each event
adds interest or suspense, to the conflict
9. Climax
- The climax is the high point when the paint character faces the
problem directly.
- This is the pop and turning point of the story.
10. Outcome
- The outcome is the ending of the story.
11. Making Judgments
- Making judgments means forming opinions about someone or
something. Characters, authors, and readers all make
judgments.
- Characters make judgments about situations and other
characters.
12. Making Judgments
- Authors make judgments about the subject of their writing.
Evaluate an authors judgments by asking if they are supported by
evidence in the story or article.
- Readers make judgments about characters, authors and ideas.A
readers judgment should be supported by evidence in the story or
article.
13. Visualizing
- Visualizing is creating a picture in you mind as you read.
- Pay attention to description, imagery, and sensory words that
help you imagine what you are reading. Also think about what you
already know about the places, people and things being
described.
14. Visualizing
- As you read and get more information, you may need to change
the picture in you mid to match the new details.
- If you have a hard time visualizing, reread or read more slowly
to get a better picture.
15. Graphic Sources
- A graphic source is something that shows information
visually.Picture, charts, graphs, and maps are graphic
sources.
- Graphic sources can help you better understand what you read
because they provide a lot of information that can be seen
quickly.
16. Fact and Opinion
- A fact is something that can be proved true or false.
Statements of fact can be proved by checking reference books,
observing, measuring, and so on.
- An opinion tells a persons ideas or feelings.It cannot be
proved true or false, but it can be supported or explained.Some
statements of opinion begin with clue words such as I believe or In
my opinion.
17. Setting
- The setting is the time and place in which a story
happens.
- In some stories, the author tells you exactly when and where
the story takes place.In other stories, the author tells about the
setting through details, and you have to figure out the time and
place.
18. Setting
- Sometimes the author tells only one part of the setting, either
the time or the place.
- In some stories, the setting is very important.If affects what
happens in the story and why.In other stories, it isnt really
important
19. Authors Viewpoint
- Authors viewpoint is the way an author thinks about the subject
of his or her writing.
- To learn an authors viewpoint, think about the authors opinion
and choice of words.Sometimes you can figure our an authors
viewpoint even when it is not stated.
20. Authors Viewpoint
- Unbalanced, or biased writing happened when an author presents
only one viewpoint.Balanced writing presents both sides of an issue
equally.
21. Drawing Conclusions
- When you form opinions based on facts and details, you are
drawing conclusions.
- To draw conclusions, think logically.Also use clues from what
youve read and your own knowledge and experience.
- TO check you conclusion, ask yourself if it makes sense.Are
there any other possible conclusions?
22. Character
- Characters are the people or animals in stories.You learn about
them from their words, actions, and the way other characters act
toward them.
- When you read, think of what you know about real people and
what you have learned about the characters so far.Use this to
decide what a characters actions mean and what the character might
do next.
23. Text Structure
- Text structure is the way a piece of writing is organized.
- There are two main kinds of writing fiction and nonfiction.Each
is read in a different way.Identifying the text structure will help
you choose the best reading strategy.
24. Text Structure
- Fiction tells stories of made-up people and events. Fiction is
often organized in chronological order
- Nonfiction tells of real people and events or gives real
information.It can be organized in chronological order, by main
ideas with supporting details, or as relationships such as cause
and effect, problem and solution, and compare and contrast.
25.
- Summarizing means telling just the main ideas of an article or
the plot of a story.
- A good summary is brief.It does not include unnecessary
details, repeated words or thought, or unimportant ideas.
Summarizing 26. Compare and Contrast
- Comparing is telling how two or more things are alike.
- Contrasting is telling how two or more things are
different.
27. Compare and Contrast
- Authors sometimes use clue words such as similar to, like, or
as to compare things.They may use clue words such as different
from, but, or unlike to contrast things.
- When there are no clue words, compare and contrast by asking
what does this remind me of?
28. Main Idea and Supporting Details
- The topic is what the paragraph, article, or story is
about.
- The main idea is the most important idea about the topic.
29. Main Idea and Supporting Details
- Sometimes the main idea is state.When it is not, you have to
decide what is most important and pit it into your own words.
- Supporting details tell more about the main idea.
- Knowing the main idea will help you better understand and
remember what you read.
30. Context Clues
- Context clues are words that can help you figure out a word
that is unfamiliar to you.
- When you come to an unfamiliar word, decide if it is important
to the meaning of the sentence or paragraph. If it is, use context
clues to understand it.
- Look for specific clues by asking yourself questions like, Does
the sentence give a definition or explanation of the word?
31. Predicting
- Predicting is giving a statement about what you think might
happen next in a story or come next in an article.The statement you
give is the prediction.
- You can make predictions based on what you already know and
what had already happened in the story or article.
- After you predict something, continue reading to check your
prediction.As you learn new information, you might need to change
your prediction.
32. Authors Purpose
- Authors purpose is the reason or reasons an author has for
writing.
- Authors dont usually state a purpose, so it helps to remember
that the four common purposes are to persuade, inform, entertain,
and express
33. Authors Purpose
- If you know an authors purpose, you may change how you read to
match what you read.For example, if an author want to explain a
difficult idea, you may decide to read slowly to make sure you
understand the information.But when an authors purpose is to
entertain, you may want to read quickly.
34. Generalizing
- Generalizing is making a statement about what several people or
things have in common.
- This is a generalization: Many people like popcorn.Clue words
such as many and most can signal generalizations.
- A valid generalization if supported by facts and logic.A faulty
generalization is not.
35. Paraphrasing
- Paraphrasing is explaining something in your own words.
- After you read a sentence or paragraph, pout it into your own
words.Dont change the authors meaning or add you own opinion.
- Paraphrasing can help you study for tests because you will
remember ideas better when you put them into your own words.