Reading Skills
The lesson, moral, or message an author is trying to teach in a story.
What is theme.
Her smile was sunshine on a cloudy day.”
Question: What does this sentence mean?
Her smile made people feel happy and brightened their mood
When the story is told from the perspective of the narrator, using words like "I" or "me"
What is first person?
What type of author's purpose is it when an author tries to get you to believe the same way they do about a topic?
Persuade/Persuasion
A microscope allows scientists to see small things
A microphone enhances quiet sounds
A microchip is a tiny piece of technology in a computer
What does the stem "micro" mean?
Small
The big idea of a passage: you can find it by looking at repeated words, subheadings, title, pictures, captions
Main Idea
Which figurative language is the following sentence?
"She is a tornado when she gets angry!"
What is metaphor?
This point of view uses “he,” “she,” or “they.”
What is third person?
“the dog ran fast it was chasing a ball in the yard”
Question: What changes must be made?
Capitalize the first word and add punctuation:
“The dog ran fast. It was chasing a ball in the yard.”
“The student’s explanation was so vague that the teacher still didn’t understand.”
Question: What context clues help you determine the meaning of vague, and what does it mean?
The teacher didn’t understand, showing the explanation was unclear or not specific.
What the story is mainly about?
Central or Main idea
“He has a heart of stone.”
Question: What does this phrase mean?
He is not kind or does not show emotion.
A passage describes what multiple characters are thinking, even though no character is telling the story.
Question: What type of point of view is being used?
Third person omniscient.
“The reason I think school uniforms are good because they stop bullying.”
Question: What is missing and how would you revise it?
It is a fragment and missing correct structure.
Revised: “I think school uniforms are good because they stop bullying.”
“The explorer was exhausted after walking through the dense jungle all day.”
Question: What does the word exhausted most likely mean?
Very tired or worn out.
This is a short version of the story that includes just the important details.
What is the summary?
“The classroom was as silent as a library.”
Question: What does this mean?
The classroom was very quiet.
A narrator only describes what one character thinks and feels, not the other characters.
Question: What type of point of view is this?
Third person limited.
A passage explains why recycling helps the environment and gives reasons.
Question: What text structure is this?
Cause and effect.
“The teacher praised the student for his exceptional effort on the project.”
Question: What does exceptional mean in this sentence?
Very good or outstanding.
This is when you use clues from the text and your own thinking.
What is inference?
“The test was a piece of cake.”
Question: What does this sentence mean?
The test was very easy.
A story is told from the perspective of a dog describing its owner’s actions.
Question: What is unusual about this point of view, and why is it still considered third person or first person?
It is first person from the dog’s perspective because the narrator uses “I,” even though it is not human.
“Because it rained heavily, the game was canceled.”
Question: What is the text structure?
Cause: heavy rain; Effect: game was canceled.
“The instructions were so clear that everyone understood what to do immediately.”
Question: What does clear mean in this context?
Easy to understand.
What does it mean to compare and contrast?
To describe how things are alike and how they are different
The classroom was a zoo during recess.”
Question: What does this sentence mean?
The classroom was very loud and chaotic.
A narrator only shares what one character sees, hears, and thinks.
Question: How does this limit the reader’s understanding of the story?
The reader only knows one character’s thoughts, so they may miss what other characters are thinking or feeling.
A passage explains different types of volcanoes and how they form.
Question: What text structure is most likely used?
Description / Classification.
Using context clues, what does the word feeble mean in the sentence below.
Even though she is feeble, the old lady still walks a mile every day.
without strength or weak
“Time is a thief.”
Question: What does it mean?
It means time seems to take things away quickly.
Two students read the same story. One thinks the main character is brave; the other thinks the character is reckless.
Question: How can point of view or perspective explain why they disagree?
Readers interpret characters differently based on their own perspective and the evidence they focus on.
A passage explains how a bill becomes a law step by step.
What is the text structure and why?
Sequence because it shows the process in the correct order, making it easier to understand.
The desert was desolate, with no plants or animals in sight.”
Question: What does the word desolate most likely mean based on context clues?
Empty, lifeless, or deserted.