Making Good Book Choices Easy Just-Right Challenging fun to read relaxing favorite picture book effortless You can read “Easy” books easily and understand them well. Understand well and enjoy read smoothly and only a few places where you need to slow down to figure out a word or think more about the meaning these are the books that help you become a better reader each time you read You should read books most of the time. difficult to read have trouble with many of the words and don’t understand most of what you are reading too difficult for you to enjoy right now There are times when you would choose a challenging book, such as when you need to find some facts on a particular topic, but most of the time, you would save Challenging books until they are “Just Right”
Character Conflicts: problems in the plot that characters can face; often there are multiple conflicts Type of Conflict Meaning Examples from text Internal Conflict (man vs. himself) -not visual or tangible -the struggle is usually inside a character’s mind A character is dealing with his or her mixed feelings or emotions. A character may have to decide between right or wrong or two solutions to a problem. External Conflict (man vs. man, man vs. nature) A character can face several types of outside forces outside force may be another character does not have to be a physical conflict, but can be a battle between 2 ideas mostly this refers to 2 characters against one another may also be forces of nature
Understanding THEME Theme = the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story. The author uses the character’s lesson to teach the reader something about life. Text Lesson Character Learned Personal Connection THEME “Elisa’s Diary” Elisa learned that coming to a new place was hard, but a new friend helped her overcome her struggles. “When I visited Germany, I didn’t know the language, which made communicating difficult, so I understand how helpless Elisa must’ve felt.” Acceptance, Friendship, Never Give Up We all encounter hardships in life, but friends (new and old) who accept us can help us through difficult times. “The Case of the Missing Deer” Blake learns how to solve a problem with the help of some friends. “When I have had a problem in the past, having someone help me figure out a good solution always makes me feel more confident in my decision.” Friendship, Never Give Up When a problem needs to be solved, perseverance and the help of others can help us figure anything out! Ira Sleeps Over Ira learns not to be ashamed of his teddy bear because Reggie ended up having one, too. “When I was in junior high, I would hide my Barbies before my friends came over because I was embarrassed that I still played with them.” Acceptance, Friendship Never be ashamed of who you are because true friends will accept you, no matter what. Understanding THEME Theme = the implied message, moral, or lesson in the story.
Sensory Language = the language the author uses to create images by appealing to the reader’s senses Imagery = one type of sensory language the author uses to create a visual or mental picture Text Sensory Language (example from the text) Illustration (what you visualize based on the author’s words) The author uses the description to show— Willie & the “Willie would close his eyes and feel just like he was at Wrigley Field, his heart pumping to the sound of balls slamming into mitts, sending puffs of old leather dust into the afternoon sunlight as waves of fresh-cut grass tickled his nose.” I see a late afternoon baseball game. (You can draw this for your students.) how much Willie loved baseball and everything about it. It also shows how much Willie wanted to go to Wrigley Field because it was a place that was “alive” with all things baseball. Willie & the “And then there were the Negro League players. A ragtag collection they were, in uniforms tattered and faded from too many trips up and down backcountry roads. Shoes softened and worn with age and memories of two or three games a day. Baseball gloves patched up, tied and retied too many times.” I see a team of white players with pristine uniforms and the best equipment, but then I see a team of black players who are in hand-me downs and have old equipment. (You can draw this for your students.) the difference in the way the Major League players and the Negro League players were dressed and how they acted before a huge game. Pink and Say “Then fever must have took me good, ‘cause I could feel a cool sweet-smelling quilt next to my face. Soft, gentle warm hands were strokin’ my head with a cool wet rag cloth.”
Inference = an idea the author does not state Text Evidence + Background Knowledge (schema) = Inference But that day when I saw him (Arliss) in the spring, so helpless against the angry she bear, I learned different. I knew then that I loved him as much as I did Mama and Papa, maybe in some ways even a little bit more. So it was only natural for me to come to love the dog that saved him. After that, I couldn’t do enough for Old Yeller. Sometimes my brother annoyed me when I was younger, but honestly, I can’t imagine my childhood with him. He made everything we did (almost everything) a little more fun. The encounter with the bear bonds Arliss, Travis, and Old Yeller together for life. They are closer to one another and realize how much they love each other after a close call. But the real adventure still lay ahead. Americans would need much help to achieve their freedom, and Johnny and his father were glad to be a part of it. John Adams was a man full of words and ideas, but he wasn’t afraid to fight for what he believed in.
Understanding Characters Details such as what characters say and do are clues that the reader can use to help them figure out the reasons characters act the way they do. Character:Wolf from Lon Po Po, Epimetheus & Cronus from Zeus and the Titans, What can we infer about characters based on their actions or words? Character’s Actions or Words (text evidence) Tao and Paotze rushed to their Po Po and wished to be hugged. The old wolf help Tao. “Good child, you are so plump.” He embraced Patoze. “Good child, you have grown to be so sweet.” With the word at peace, Zeus gave the two Titan brothers a new job – creating people and animals Zeus told them to give their creations special gifts, such as speed and keen vision. However, one brother, Epimetheus used up all the gifts on the animals. What was left for people?—pg. 318 Uranus, the Titans’ father, had a cruel side. He treated some of his children badly. Only the youngest Titan, Cronus, was brave enough to challenge and defeat him. As a result, Cronus became the ruler of both earth and sky. But his rule would be temporary.—pg. 316 The Wolf’s words show that -- Epimetheus’s actions imply that -- Based on Cronus’s actions, the reader can infer that -- Inferences