Theme & Inferencing
What is the theme of a story
The message! (The author believes that...)
What is the main idea?
What the text is mostly about
When I am reading, and there is a word I don't know, what should I do?
Skip it and keep going!
Use context clues in the text to help determine the meaning
How many kinds of text structures are there?
(ex. problem solution, chronology, ect)
5
She was exhausted after the long hike.
What does exhausted mean?
Very tired
What is an inference?
_____ +_____= Inference
Text Evidence + Background Knowledge = Inference
Bees are spread pollen from flower to flower. Bees are very important in helping flowers grow. They are called pollenators. Without bees, flowers all over the world would not survive.
What is the main idea?
Bees help flowers grow.
The word trumid means “to grow or improve.”
What does trumidment mean?
a) without growth
b) the act of growing or improving
c) before growth
b) the act of growing or improving
What are the 5 text structures?
cause and effect
problem solution
chronology
description
compare and contrast
What does preview mean?
To view before
Most hens stop laying eggs when there is less sunlight during the day. As summer changes to autumn, there are less hours of daylight each day.
What can you infer?
a. Many hens will continue to lay eggs each day.
b. Many hens will spend less time outside.
c. Most hens will lay fewer eggs.
c. Most hens will lay fewer eggs
Which detail best supports the idea that a character is brave?
A. He ran away
B. He helped a friend in danger
C. He went to sleep
B. He helped a friend in danger
Ana stared at Blair's elegant drawing, and a smile flickered across her face. 'You may not be a poet, but you are a fantastic artist, and your drawings are lovely!' Ana exclaimed.
What does elegant mean as it is used in the paragraph?
a. beautiful
b. huge
c. colorful
d. simple
a. beautiful
In order to start her bakery, Miss Garcia first learned how to make and decorate the best cookies in town. Then, she took a class on how to run a small business. Using her saved money, she rented a small shop and bought equipment. Finally, she opened her shop.
How is the text of this passage organized?
a. chronology
b. compare and contrast
c. cause and effect
d. problem and solution
a. chronology
The word plinder means “to finish a task.”
What does inplinder mean?
a) finished again
b) not finished
c) very finished
b) not finished
It rained all morning, so Leo couldn’t play outside. At first, he felt bored and restless. Then he decided to build a fort using blankets and chairs in his living room.
Soon, Leo was pretending he was in a secret hideout during a storm. He read a book with a flashlight and even had a snack inside his fort.
By the afternoon, Leo realized the rainy day had turned into an adventure.
What is the theme of the passage?
A. Rain is bad
B. Reading is important
C. You can have fun even when plans change
D. Staying inside is boring
C. You can have fun even when plans change
Mrs. Carter’s class planted a garden behind the school. Each student had a job. Some watered the plants, while others pulled weeds or checked for bugs.
After a few weeks, small green sprouts began to grow. The students were excited to see their hard work paying off. By the end of the season, they harvested vegetables like tomatoes and carrots.
The class shared the vegetables with their families.
What is the main idea?
A. Gardening is hard work
B. Students worked together to grow a garden
C. Vegetables are healthy
D. Mrs. Carter likes plants
B. Students worked together to grow a garden
As towns and cities grew, travel and trade between countries increased. There were lots of new jobs to do, and people needed to be in the same place at the same time to get them done. The old clocks were no longer good enough, since they didn't let everyone share the correct time of day.
Which two phrases help the reader understand the meaning of "increased?"
a. "towns and cities grew"
b. "trade between countries"
c. "lots of new jobs"
d. "in the same place"
e. "to get them done"
a. towns and cities grew
c. lots of new jobs
Callie had a problem. The pack of friendship cards she had bought for his classmates only had 24 cards, and there were 25 students, other than herself, in her class. So, she made a homemade card for one of her best friends in the class. Everyone, including her best friend, loved the cards.
How is the text of this passage organized?
a. chronology
b. compare and contrast
c. cause and effect
d. problem and solution
d. problem solution
After a few weeks, small green sprouts began to grow. The students were excited to see their hard work paying off. By the end of the season, they harvested vegetables like tomatoes and carrots.
What is the meaning of harvested in the passage?
A. Planted
B. Picked
C. Watered
D. Cooked
B. Picked
Mia practiced the piano every day, even when it was difficult. At first, she made many mistakes and wanted to quit. But over time, she improved and eventually performed in front of her school with confidence.
What is the BEST theme of this story?
A. Playing piano is fun
B. Practice can help you improve and succeed
C. Performing is scary
D. Mistakes should be avoided
B. Practice can help you improve and succeed
Mrs. Carter’s class planted a garden behind the school. Each student had a job. Some watered the plants, while others pulled weeds or checked for bugs.
After a few weeks, small green sprouts began to grow. The students were excited to see their hard work paying off. By the end of the season, they harvested vegetables like tomatoes and carrots.
The class shared the vegetables with their families.
What detail shows that the students were excited?
A. They didn’t have homework
B. They saw their plants growing
C. They went outside
D. They liked bugs
B. They saw their plants growing
The scientist’s explanation was ambiguous, leaving the students confused and unsure about what she really meant.
What does the word "ambiguous" most nearly mean?
A. Clear and detailed
B. Confusing or unclear
C. Short and simple
D. Loud and exciting
B. Confusing or unclear
When Julia was baking cupcakes, she thought she had followed the recipe correctly. Unfortunately, she had accidentally added 1 cup of salt instead of 1 cup of sugar. Because of her mistake, her classmates were unpleasantly surprised at the extremely salty taste when took a bite of the treats.
How is the text of this passage organized?
a. chronology
b. compare and contrast
c. cause and effect
d. problem and solution
c. cause and effect
The word dramel means “full of hope.”
What does dramelless mean?
a) full of hope
b) without hope
c) hope again
b) without hope