Author’s PurposeThe author’s purpose means the author’s reason(s) for

writing a story selection. An author may write to entertain, to inform, to express, or to persuade.

I think cats are WAY better than dogs!!!

Author’s PurposeWhy did the author write this book?

story? article?

Author’s PurposeWhy did the author write this book?

story? article? I think the author wrote ___ to entertain us. to teach/ inform us about… to persuade us to…

I believe the author’s purpose is to entertain/teach/explain because…. Since _______, I believe the author’s purpose is… to make us think about nature. to make us think about others’ feelings. to teach us how to…/about… to explain (how to)… to share his/her love for… to help us…

to encourage us to… to inspire us to…

to remind us to…

Author’s Viewpoint

The author believes/thinks/argues that______ because…

To support his/her belief/argument/ opinion that _______ the author says/states/points out that …

Cause and EffectTo understand causality in any content area, it is necessary

to be able to identify cause-and-effect relationships. A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happens.

Cause Effect

Cause and Effect

• Why did ________happen?

• What caused ___ to happen?

• Why does name of character act/feel this way?

• What would be the effects/result if…?

• Which motive exists for ____’s actions?

• Which of the following shows a cause and effect relationship?

Cause and Effect_______ did/did not ______ because … If (cause)… then (effect)When (cause)…, then (effect)After (cause)…, then (effect)

 Signal words for cause and effectbecausebecause ofso (that)if…then when…then(this) caused…sincefor that reasonthe cause was which led toas a result (of)  therefore

 

      

Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer

Compare and ContrastComparing and contrasting are basic reasoning devices to help us understand the unknown by using the known. To

compare is to decide how things are alike; to contrast is to decide how things are different. Often the term compare

means to look for both likenesses and differences.

How am I different? How am I the same?

Compare and Contrast

• How does ___ compare to ____?

• How would you compare ___ to ____?

• How would you contrast ___ with ___?

Compare_________ and _________ are alike because…both…

_________ is similar to __________ because…both…

__ is taller than __, but __ is the tallest of them all.Signal words for comparing include:

Compare like are the same because…

both __er, __est

just like are similar because

have in common

too

just as simillarly   also

likewise     as well as

in the same way

Venn Diagramfor Comparing and Contrasting

Contrast1. _______ is different from _____ because….

2. ______ and _______ are different because _____ has … while _______ does not have …

3. _______, however/but/although ______________ is different because …

different but instead of… ___er than

are different (than) ___, because…

on one/the other hand

unlike

the difference between…

some…but others…

yet

however not only,…but also…

although

Draw ConclusionsDrawing conclusions is using information from the text and from the reader’s background to make decisions about characters and what

happens in a story article.

I think he’s sad because he’s alone…

• Why do you think…?• What will most likely happen next?• Which event could not really happen?• What do you think is most likely to

happen if…?• Although the story doesn’t exactly

say…why do you think…?• After reading the passage, what could

the reader conclude?

Draw Conclusions

The __________ is ______________ because...

From _____, I can tell_____________________.

Based on/Since ____________, I infer_________.

_____ is _____. Therefore, it must be _____.

As a result of____, we can conclude that _____.

Clues in the text let us know that…

Draw Conclusions

Drawing ConclusionsGraphic Organizer

GeneralizeA generalization is a specific kind of conclusion.  A generalization is a broad statement or rule that

applies to many examples.

It rains a lot in this town…

Day 1

Day 3

Day 2

Generalize

____ are/are not (is/is not, have, can/can’t) _____.

These are all __________ because they all …

Most (almost all, many, some, nearly all)____ are (are able to, can) _____since…

The majority is ________________ because…

____ are usually (generally, often, mostly)...

Fact & OpinionA statement of fact can be proved true or false. It

can be checked and verified or disproved. A statement of opinion tells someone’s ideas or

feelings. It cannot be proved true or false.

Facts

This is a blue cat.

The cat has stripes.

The cat has a red tail.

Opinions

I like blue cats.

Cats are my favorite.

Cats are the best.

Fact & Opinion

Which is a true statement about…?

Which statement below is true?

All of the following are true statements about…EXCEPT…

Which kind of …?

Who is telling the story/the narrator?

Fact & OpinionFact___________ is a/an ___________.

___________ has a ___________.

This is a(n) because we can/can’t prove ________.

OpinionI like ___________.

I think ______ because…

In my opinion, ________ because…

According to _________, ___________.

The main idea is the most important idea about the topic. When the main idea is not stated in a single sentence,

readers must figure it out on their own and state it in their own words. Supporting details are small pieces of

information that tell more about the main idea

Main Idea and Details

Main Idea and DetailsWhat is the main idea of the passage?

What is the best title for the passage?

What is the passage mostly about?

Which sentence from the article best states its main idea?

Which of the following is a supporting detail rather than a main idea?

Which detail from this article does the author use to support her main idea?

Main Idea and DetailsThe most important/main idea is ____ because…

This section/paragraph/passage is mostly about/focused on…

There are (#) important details that support the main idea. To begin with, ___. Also, ______.

Could happen Could not

In fiction, a realistic story is one that tells about something that could happen. A fantasy is a story

about something that could not happen.

Realism and Fantasy

SequenceSequence is the order in which things happen in a story or selection. Keeping track of a sequence of events or

steps may be necessary to understand some selections.

Sequence

(According to the passage), what happens right before…?

What is the next step after you…

What does … mean on step two?

Which of the following happened first/after ____/last?

What did…do after…?

SequenceFirst In the beginning,

…

Second, … Next, … Following that, …

Then, … After that, … Later on…

Last, At the end, … Finally, …

During Before Now After Since

As Earlier Not long after

When

While Afterward

Later (on)

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

Ask QuestionsGood readers ask themselves questions before, during and after they read to give their reading

focus and to check their understanding.

I wonder…I wonder…

Ask QuestionsWho/What is this story about?What will I learn?Where does it take place?When does it take place?

I wonder why/how ___ would ___?

How would (a) _______ if ______?

Answer QuestionsGood readers use what they read in the text

and what they already know to help them answer questions about the text.

A: She was happy because she scored the winning goal…

Q: Why was the main character so happy at the end of the story?

Graphic OrganizersGood readers use graphic organizers, to help them understand relationships between ideas

presented in their reading.

K W L

Graphic SourcesGraphics such as charts, graphs, diagrams, and so on strengthen students’ understanding of text. Graphic

sources are in integral component of what students read.

Monitor and Fix UpGood readers monitor their own reading to check their

understanding. When something doesn’t make sense, good readers look for ways to fix up any problems they are having.

1. Pay attention. 2. Go Back. 3. Fix up!

Monitor and Fix Up

The part about _____ did not make sense so I reread and now I know__________.

The part about /the word _____ confused me, so I ______________ to figure it out.

reread

read ahead

used context clues

used the dictionary

looked at the pictures

Predict

“Guess what will happen next!”

Good readers use clues to help them figure out what will happen next in a story. Then they keep reading to confirm and refine their predictions.

Predict• What do you think might happen next?• What do you think the rest of the article

would most likely talk about?• What do you think is most likely to happen

if…?

 

 

PredictWhat do you think will/might happen next?

 

I think _______ is going to happen next, because…

I predict

 

I think (character) will/won’t/could/might ___ because…

 

Since/Because he/she _______, I predict…

Based on ____ (a clue in the text), I predict…

 

 

PreviewBefore they begin reading, good readers

prepare by previewing the text, or looking ahead, to help them set a

purpose for reading and find out how the text is organized..

1. CHECK IT OUT 2. READ IT

Prior KnowledgeGood readers use prior knowledge, or what they already know, to help them understand

what they read.

I wonder…

I already know something about soccer…

Soccer is fun! Anyone can play!

SummarizeGood readers summarize the

important ideas or events in a story to

help them remember what they read and decide which

information is most important.

“The main character was Fredo. He was a space pirate who…”

Summarize• What is this paragraph

article mostly about?

• The paragraph is mainly about…

• What’s the main problem in the paragraph

article?

SummarizeThe first page describes… paragraph shows what happens when…The second section explains… passage tells…The third part gives…The next chapter lists…The last compares…

discusses…Finally, _______________________________________

Text Structure:

the page

LOOK?

Good readers look at the text structure, or how selections are organized.  They look for patterns that tell how ideas or events are connected.

How does

Text Structure

• Which chapter/section has information about…?• According to this index, you could learn more

about… on page…• Based on the illustration and its key, which…?• If you turned to page…, you could read about…?• Under what/which subheading would you find

information about…?

Story Structure:Good readers think about story structure, or how fictional stories are organized.  Story structure helps readers understand, recall, and appreciate stories.

Goldilocks & the Three Bears:

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

1.

2.

3.

VisualizeGood readers use prior knowledge to

help them visualize, or create a mental picture,

to help them get a clear idea of what is described in the

text.

VisualizeIn my mind, I am picturing… When I read … I imagine…

I can see… I can smell…

I can almost touch… I can almost hear…

I can almost taste… I feel…

Characters

Literary Elements include the four main

components of a story: Character, Plot, Setting and

Theme. (These elements are often

taught separately.)

Literary Elements

Setting

Theme Plot

CharactersAt first, _____ is/are ___________.

At the beginning of the story, s/he is ______. Then s/he learns (or changes) when ______. At the end, s/he______.

When the story begins, s/he is _______. As a result of ____, s/he _____. By the end of the story, s/he ______.

Setting

The story takes place in________.

The setting is significant because…

This story takes place during the _____ .

Plot

The plot is what happens in a story. The Story has a beginning, middle and an end.

Beginning Middle End

Plot

In the beginning…

In the middle…

At the end…

The problem in this story was character wanted _______, but then__________. So s/he ________________________.

ThemeTheme

The theme is the big idea behind the story.

Theme

• What is the theme or lesson the author is telling us in this text?

• What is a major theme or message the author is trying to get across…?

ThemeThe theme of this story is….it’s important to tell the truth.

book

chapter

article

The moral of this story is….it’s important to tell the truth.

book

fable

The lesson to be learned in this story is….