Unit 2 — Understanding Stories and Information

Welcome back!

Reading is about much more than recognizing words.

Good readers think carefully about what they read.

They notice important ideas, understand characters, compare information, and support their thinking with evidence from the text.

Today you will strengthen these important reading skills.

Stories and Informational Texts

Authors write for different purposes.

Some write stories to entertain.

Others write informational texts to teach, explain, or describe real events and ideas.

As a reader, it is helpful to recognize what kind of text you are reading.

Theme

Many stories teach an important lesson or message.

This is called the theme.

Examples of themes include:

• honesty is important
• kindness makes a difference
• hard work leads to success
• courage helps us face challenges

Different readers may express the same theme using different words.

Characters

Characters are the people or animals in a story.

As you read, ask yourself:

• What does this character want?
• How does the character change?
• What choices does the character make?
• What do these choices tell me about the character?

Understanding characters helps us understand the story.

Comparing and Contrasting

Readers often compare two things.

You can compare:

• characters
• settings
• events
• books
• ideas

Ask yourself:

• How are they alike?
• How are they different?

Comparing helps us notice important details.

Drawing Conclusions

Authors do not always tell us everything directly.

Sometimes readers must use clues from the text along with what they already know.

This is called drawing conclusions.

Good readers support their conclusions with evidence.

Using Evidence

When answering questions about a passage, explain how you know.

For example:

"The story says the sky became dark and the trees bent in the wind, so I think a storm is coming."

Evidence makes our answers stronger and more convincing.

Summarizing

A summary tells the most important parts of what was read.

A good summary:

• includes the main idea
• mentions important details
• leaves out unimportant information
• uses your own words

Summaries help us remember what we have learned.

Activity

Read a short story or article.

Then answer:

• What type of text is it?
• Who are the main characters or subjects?
• What is the main idea or theme?
• What evidence supports your answer?
• Write a short summary in your own words.

Practice

Answer these questions.

What is a theme?

Why is it helpful to compare characters?

What does it mean to draw a conclusion?

Why should readers use evidence?

What makes a good summary?

Review

Today you learned:

• stories and informational texts have different purposes
• themes communicate important messages
• characters reveal ideas through their actions
• conclusions should be supported with evidence
• summaries focus on the most important ideas

These reading skills will help you understand every subject you study.

Looking Ahead

Next we will strengthen our writing by learning how to organize longer paragraphs and write clear informational reports using facts, details, and logical organization.