Main Ideas
True/False:
The main idea of a text can be one word.
False.
That is a topic!
The name of the text is the...
Title
True or False:
You can summarize your day at school.
True
A hagfish slithers along the ocean bottom, moving like a snake.
What does the word slithers mean, in this context?
Sliding on the ground, like how a snake moves.
Jess is taking a reading test. What is the first thing she should do when she gets a story to read with questions?
She should read the questions at the end first.
True/False:
The main idea and the topic of a text are the same thing.
False! A topic is usually one word, a main idea is a more specific sentence!
Topic: Animals
Main Idea: Many animals have special ways to defend themselves from predators.
The list of all of the chapters in the book, usually found at the beginning is called the...
Table of Contents
True/False:
A summary should not have any details from the text.
False
Your summary should have 1 or 2 important details form the text.
The chicks lean forward, lift their tiny rumps, and shoot streams of foul-smelling feces directly into the cat's face. There's a howl and a screech. The cat hits the ground running, trying desperately to escape the incredible stench.
What does the word "stench" mean, in this context?
A bad smell.
Jess reads the question for her reading test:
What animal is a bodyguard for the black mustard plant?
What word(s) should Jess scan for in the text?
Bodyguard
black mustard plant
Bobby wrote: "Dinosaurs" as the main idea of his story. The teacher said this is not correct. What should Bobby do to improve his main idea?
He should add more details! The main idea should be at least 1 sentence.
A page at the back of the book that is like a dictionary, so you can learn what all of the new words in a book mean, is called the...
Glossary.
True/False:
The first sentence of your summary should include the title of the text.
True
A fulmar chick sits alone on a rocky ledge high on a windswept cliff. One wrong step and it could easily fall. It would plunge to its death in the cold ocean far below since it's not yet able to fly.
In this context, what does the word "plunge" mean?
To fall into water.
Fred likes to read the whole story before doing the questions below. What should Fred do instead? Why?
He should read the questions at the bottom because: He will have a better chance to get the question right; He will save time and energy on this question, so he can have more time for the rest of the test; It is easier.
How can you find the main idea of a book?
You need to look at the what is in the book, and find something that all the pages have in common.
You can use the Table of Contents to quickly see all the topics that will be in your book.
The page at the end of the book, that says exactly which pages a specific word or topic is on, is the...
Index
How many sentences should a summary have?
3-6
Without warning, one member of the two-spot school of fish turns on its closest neighbor and bites him viciously. A few other bullies join in. The push and shove the injured fish out of the school. He tries desperately to swim back into the group, but his schoolmates won't let him. Alone in the water, he is the victim. The wolf fish strikes, and in one quick gulp, the injured two-spot fish is gone.
What is the meaning of the word "turns", in this context?
To betray someone on your team.
To be a traitor.
To turn a friend into an enemy.
Ashley says that there are 3 steps to Reading with a Purpose: First, read the question. Second, scan the text. Third: Read the section connected to the question.
Which step did she miss?
What is the main idea of the book "When Lunch Fights Back"?
Many animals have special ways to defend themselves from predators.
The small bubble or box of text that is next to a picture or diagram to help explain it is called a...
Caption
What are 3 different texts that you could summarize?
List 3 things that are:
Books, events, movies, shows, etc.
When threatened, the Spanish ribbed newt pushes the tips of its ribs through the sides of its body. This creates two rows of needle-sharp spines. When threatened by predators such as foxes and ferrets, many salamanders flare their ribs to make their bodies look bigger.
In this context, what does the word "flare" mean?
To push something out.
To flex a muscle.
Brenda doesn't know how to Read with a Purpose. Explain to her the steps she should take when she is doing a reading test.
Step 1: Read the question(s)
Step 2: Scan the text for the answers
Step 3: Read the section connected to the question.
Step 4: Check that your answer makes sense.