COMPREHENSION SKILLS

MAIN IDEA The main idea is the most important idea of the passage as a whole. It is what the passage or story is mostly about.

DETAILS One of the easiest questions are those that ask you to find a fact or specific detail from a passage. The answer is usually right there you just have to scan the key word or phrase to find it.

NARRATIVE ELEMENTS The most important elements in a story, or narrative, are setting, characters, and plot. Setting: when and where the story takes place Characters: the people or animals in the story Plot: what happens in the story- the sequence of actions or events

COMPARE AND CONTRAST To compare, look for clues that tell how things are alike. To contrast, look for clues that tell how things are different. KEY WORDS: Compare: also, both, too, similar Contrast: but, instead, although, however

DRAW CONCLUSIONS Authors do not always tell readers everything in a story. Sometimes readers must use information from the story and their own knowledge to help them understand a story.

SUMMARIZE When you summarize, you restate the most important events of a selection in the correct sequence. A summary contains only the most important ideas.

CAUSE AND EFFECT To find an effect, ask… What happened? To find a cause, ask…Why did this happen? KEY WORDS: Cause: because, if, since, due to, soon Effect: therefore, so, then, as a result of

FACT AND OPINION FACTS: Tell what is happening or what has happened. Can be proved OPINIONS: Tell how the writer or speaker thinks or feels about something. CanNot be proved May include words like should, must, and ought, or phrases such as “in my opinion” or “I think”

SEQUENCE Sequence is the order in which events happen Look for key words… first, next, then, before, after Look for times and dates… afternoon, night, day, morning

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE What is the author’s purpose for writing the story? How does the author feel about the topic? The author’s purpose may be to: inform, persuade, or entertain