Comprehension Skills 1
The message or lesson the author is trying to convey to the reader.
Theme
most important point an author makes about a topic
main idea
crush something into small pieces
pulverize
what is the suffix of the word "successful"
ful
What is the prefix of the word "uncertain"
un
where and when a story takes place
setting
What format should you use when writing the TDA
RACES
two words that have the same or similar meaning
synonyms
Text structure that highlights problems and the solutions to the problems.
Problem and Solution
information that supports the main idea by telling how, what, when, where, why, how much, or how many.
Key details
liquid that is very hot to touch
scalding
this supports a claim with facts usually in writing
documentation
direct comparison that refers to one thing as another. example: "Soon blankets of burning ash were smothering the airplanes"
Metaphor
You would use what the character says and does to describe ______
the character
In this part of the TDA you will restate the question
The R part of RACES
when you read a text again to clarify your understanding
Reread
text structure where authors organize their ideas by comparing and contrasting them
Compare and Contrast
how an author thinks or feels about a topic. it may be mostly objective or show some bias
Author's Point of View
guiding or moving something's position with skill
manuvering
group of related living things with similar characteristics
species
most basic part of a word; no prefix or suffix
root word
The turning point of the story or the high point of the story.
the Climax
In this part of the TDA you will answer the question using your own words and writing in compete sentences
The A part of RACES
two words that have opposite meanings
antonyms
When you think about how and why the character or characters have changed you may be able to figure out the ________________
theme
when one of the characters is the narrator
first person point of view
two or more people come together for a common goal
alliance
to be placed or positioned on either side of something or someone
flanked
Genre that gives factual information about a topic as a narrative or story. It may tell one person's experiences related to that topic
Narrative nonfiction
Genre where the plot is made up or fictional but the characters and setting are realistic
Realistic fiction
This part of the TDA starts with "In the text it states... "
C part of RACES is where you cite text evidence
what strategy are you using when you pause occasionally to predict what will happen next in the text
make predictions
text structure explains steps in a process (ex. how to make a cake or how to build a birdhouse)
Sequence
when the narrator is not a character in the story
3rd person point of view
emotional, rhyming poem that has a song like quality
lyric poetry
"it's raining cats and dogs" is an example of this
Idiom
Genre that provides factual information. It may inclue timelines and maps.
Expository / Informational text
Genre that provides information about the life of a person
Biography
In this part of a TDA you will explain what the text means and how it relates to the question
The E part of RACES
kind of figurative language that gives human abilities or feelings to nonhuman objects, animals, or ideas.
personification
text structure that tells how certain events had an effect on later events
cause and effect
This point of view lets readers know what each of the characters thinks
3rd person Point of View
pattern of rhymes at the end of the lines of the poem
rhyme scheme
words in the sentence or paragraph that give you clues to help you figure out the meaning of an unknown word
Context clues
the straightforward dictionary meaning of a word
denotation
This Genre is fictional text where the settng is drawn from history and presents actual events from a specific time in history
Historical fiction
In this part of the TDA you will restate or summarize the answer.
The S in RACES
When you can't find any context clues within the same sentence of an unknown word, what do you do?
reread the paragraph to see if the context clues are within that paragraph
This includes eyewitness accounts, government documents, and photographs taken when the event occurred
primary source
This point of view is when you know only the thoughts and feelings of the character telling the story.
1st person point of view
stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem
meter
free verse poetry
the tone that a word has in context
connotation
The main events in the story including the rising action, climax and resolution.
Plot
What does TDA stand for?
Text Dependent Analysis
what strategy are you using when you are asking and answering questions about key details in a text?
asking and answering questions
retell the most important events in a story, or to write the most important facts of a nonfiction text
summarize
what idea ties all the key details together
Main idea
14 line poem
sonnet
words that begin with the same sound
alliteration
compares two things or ideas using the words "like" or "as"
Simile
Genre that Uses factual information and visual images to explain something
Expository text
"What is the message about taking responsibility in "Minding Minna?" -- How would you start to answer this TDA?
The message in "Minding Minna" is about taking responsibility.
when you are reading a story and you form pictures in your mind of the setting, characters, and events
visualize
Genre that is a story organized into lines and stanzas.
Poetry
the author tells a story in verse form
narrative poem
two words that are spelled the same way but have different meanings and may be pronounced differently. ex. content, content and object, object
homographs
repetition of vowel sounds in words that are near one another in a poem
assonance
This Genre is written as lines of dialogue to be spoken by actors. It has stage directions indicating setting and action. It is organized by Acts and Scenes.
Drama/Play
words that sound the same when spoken but have different meanings. ex. sale, sail ; by,buy,bye
Homophones
How would you start to cite text evidence in the TDA
"In the text it states....." or "The author says...."
"talks a mile a minute" is an example of ___________
idiom
Name a test taking strategy that you have been taught this year.
Answers will vary
What do you do when you are reading text and come to a word that you do not know?
Look for context clues within the sentence or paragraph of the unknown word
person who is telling the story
narrator
act of sorting things into groups
classification
Another word for Nonfiction text
Expository text
Genre that is often told to explain the unknown, explain something in nature or to teach what is important in a culture
Myth
What is the first thing you do when you have a TDA assignment or assessment?
Read the question and highlight the important information.
Why is it important when working on a TDA that you highlight the text as you read?
You need to highlight information in the text that is related to the the TDA question.