THEME
This is the message or lesson the author wants you to learn from the story
What is theme?
This is what a paragraph or passage is mostly about.
What is the main idea?
When you make a good guess based on clues and what you already know, you are making this.
What is an inference?
This type of figurative language gives human qualities to something non-human.
What is personification?
A simile compares two things using these two words.
What are "like" or "as"?
This type of figurative language says one thing is another to show comparison.
What is a metaphor?
A story about a boy who learns to forgive a friend teaches this common theme.
What is forgiveness?
The main idea is usually found in this sentence.
What is the topic sentence?
If a character is shivering and wearing a coat, what can you infer?
What is it’s cold outside?
“The sun smiled down on us.” What figure of speech is this?
What is personification?
“She ran as fast as a cheetah.” What two things are being compared?
What are the girl and a cheetah?
“She has a heart of stone.” What does this metaphor mean?
What is she is unemotional or not compassionate?
You read a story where a girl overcomes many challenges to achieve her dream. What’s a possible theme?
What is perseverance or never give up?
A passage describes how volcanoes erupt, where they are found, and their effects. What’s the main idea?
What are facts about volcanoes?
The story doesn’t say John is sad, but he frowns and stares at the ground. What can you infer?
What is John is feeling down or upset?
Why might an author use personification in a poem or story?
What is to create vivid imagery or emotional effect?
Why would a writer use a simile in a description?
What is to make a comparison that paints a clearer picture for the reader?
Metaphors do not use these words when comparing two things.
What are "like" or "as"?
How can you figure out a story’s theme if it’s not directly stated?
What are clues from the character’s actions, problems, and how the story ends?
Why is it important to find the main idea when reading nonfiction?
What is to understand the most important point the author is making?
How do authors make readers draw inferences instead of stating everything?
What is by using clues, actions, and dialogue instead of telling directly?
The leaves danced across the yard.” What does this personification suggest about the wind?
What is that the wind is strong or playful?
What does this simile mean: “His voice was like nails on a chalkboard”?
What is it sounded annoying, screechy, or unpleasant?
“The classroom was a zoo.” What does this metaphor suggest?
What is the classroom was very noisy or chaotic?
A story shows that chasing popularity leads to loneliness. What is the deeper theme or life lesson?
What is being true to yourself is more important than fitting in?
After reading a story about a girl rescuing animals, helping the community, and protecting nature, what’s the best main idea?
What is one person can make a big difference in the world through kindness and action?
After reading a story about a lonely boy who finds an injured bird and cares for it, what can you infer about the boy’s feelings at the end?
What is he feels less lonely, more connected, or proud of helping something in need?
Identify the personification and explain its meaning: “Time marched on, ignoring my pleas to slow down.”
What is “time marched on”—it suggests that time is moving quickly no matter how badly the speaker wants it to slow down.
Identify and explain the simile: “The classroom was as quiet as a grave.”
What is a comparison between the classroom and a grave, meaning it was extremely quiet?
Interpret this metaphor: “Ideas are seeds that grow in your mind.”
What is ideas start small but can develop into big thoughts or creations over time?