Theme/Central Idea
This is normally the "main" idea in an informational text.
What is Central idea?
When an author tells the audience about a character's personality explicitly: "Jeffrey was a mean child"
Direct Characterization
A comparison using like or as: John was as quiet as a church mouse.
What is a simile?
When the author reveals the direct explicit meaning of an unfamiliar word shortly after introducing it to a text.
What is a definition context clue.
This text structure places events in the order in which they happen over time.
What is chronological
This is the lesson or statement about the world the author wants to leave readers with in a fictional text.
What is theme?
When an author reveals a character's personality through the characters actions, speech, appearance, thoughts/feelings, and their relationships with other characters.
What is indirect characterization?
Giving human-like qualities and actions to non-human things: "The sun smiled down on Martha as she walked down the Boulevard."
What is Personification?
When the author reveals the meaning of an unfamiliar word by providing words with similar meanings
What are synonym context clues
This text structure takes two or more different things and tells how they are alike and different from each other.
What is compare and contrast?
This is a story about three swine siblings and their predator that suggests the theme: It is better to take your time and do things the right way
What is/Who are the three little pigs?
A character that does not change or grow throughout the course of the story?
What is a static character?
A comparison between two things that does not use like or as: Derek was the team's anchor, he really helped maintain peace in the locker room.
What is a metaphor?
When an author demonstrates the meaning of an unfamiliar word shortly after using it.
What is an example context clue?
This text structure identifies a set of circumstances and what events create the circumstance (what has happened and why it happened).
What is cause and effect?
An author will normally reinforce and strengthen the central idea of a text with these.
What are supporting details?
A character in a story that normally exists to be compared to the main character and highlight aspects of their personality through difference.
What is a foil?
The use of obvious and deliberate exaggeration to make a point: "I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole elephant"
What is hyperbole?
When the author reveals the meaning of a word through using words that mean the opposite of it.
What are antonym context clues?
This text structure simply gives details about a person, place, event, or concept.
What is description?
This famous web-slinging hero has always promoted the theme: "With great power comes great responsibility"
What is/who is spiderman?
A character that undergoes a significant change or learns a lesson between the beginning of the story and the end.
What is a dynamic character?
A figure of speech where two seemingly opposite things are placed next to each other: little giants, jumbo shrimp, pretty ugly, etc.
What is an oxymoron?
These clues force the reader to use rationale or reasoning skills in order to figure out the meaning of an unknown word. Even though the word is not directly defined, the reader can logically reason out the meaning using the information provided in the context.
What are inference clues?
This text structure identifies an issue and proposes ways to handle the issue
What is problem and Solution?