Reading Sign Posts

This page consists of anchor charts that summarize several different reading strategies that we will be using throughout the school year. I will be adding more anchor charts throughout the school year.

If you are having difficulty reading, please review these charts as a starting point!

*Words of the Wiser usually gives us insight into a problem the main character is facing--event if they don't realize it. Think about this lesson. Does it give you an idea of a problem or internal conflict that the main character faces?

*Words of the Wiser are often direct--"be kind to others." Sometimes, they are more indirect; they appear to be about just one thing when they are really about life in general.

*Often, Words of the Wiser appears early in the book

*Words of the Wiser are directed at the main character, but they often seem to be directed at the reader as well

*Is the character remembering something as a way to provide guidance or to help them/others solve a problem? If so, then it might mean that this moment gives us insight into how they will solve an internal or external conflict.

*Is the character remembering something that obviously troubles them? If so, it probably offers us insight into an internal conflict the character faces.

*Often, Memory Moments explain something about the plot or the conflict.

*When a character keeps remembering the same memory throughout the novel/story, the point of the memory or the lesson learned from it often reveals something about the theme

If the contrast shows a difference between individuals or groups, you’re probably seeing the conflict.
If the contradiction shows a new side of a character's personality, then it may be showing you that the character has been hiding something from us or it may reveal how the character is changing.
If the contrast is between what you would expect to see in the place portrayed and what the author actually shows you, you’re probably seeing a unique feature of the setting.
If the contrast is between what the character expects to find or achieve and what the character actually does discover or accomplish, you might be learning about the theme of the book.
If the contradiction is between what the character says and what the character does or if the contradiction is between the character's speech or actions at one point in the story and the character's behavior at another time, they you are probably learning something about the character and perhaps their inner conflicts.
If the contradiction shows the character making an important decision or doing something that surprises you, then try to complete this statement: Once I saw [insert character’s name] do_____, then I knew that he/she had learned this lesson: _______. If you can do that, then the contrast or contradiction that you noticed is probably showing you something about the theme.

Text clues that the character has come to an important understanding:

"Suddenly I realized"
"In an instant I saw"
"It came to me in a flash"
"I now knew"
"I finally understood that"

Look for the words: realized, suddenly realized, understood, and knew

Authors use repetition for many reasons, such as:

To reveal an aspect of the setting
To give insight into the theme or conflict
To help establish the mood or tone

Questions to consider:

Does this repetition make you think about where or when this story takes place? If so, then it's probably giving you information about the setting.
Does this repetition tell you something about a character's habits? If so, then it's probably offering insight into the character.
What does this Again and Again signpost suggest what will happen the next time our main character finds himself in a similar situation? Now, you might be considering the plot.
Does this repetition push you to think about how someone feels, what someone wants, or what bothers someone? If so, then it's probably giving you information about conflict.
Does the repetition make you think about a life lesson? If so, it's probably helping you think about the theme.

Internal conflict is when you share a tough question with a friend or to yourself--when you're sharing something that bothers you. Tough questions help us see conflict and guide us in making predictions about the direction that the book or story will head in.

One tough question usually makes us wonder about other things. If the question is asking for data or information, it's probably not tough. If the question requires a difficult decision or a serious commitment, if the character's values and beliefs will be tested by it, then it's a tough question.

Different categories of wondering:

How would I, the reader, feel or think in these circumstances? Does the character feel the same or different?
What alternatives does the character seem to have in answering the question?
What values will help the character make his or her choice (i.e. concern for other people, desire for great wealth, determination to appear courageous, something else)?
What would happen if the character made a different choice?

Personal Perspectives: The person being quoted often has no expertise other than having lived through something; creates an empathetic bond

Voices of Authority: an expert's view (i.e. a meteorologist explaining why conditions are right for tornadoes)

Others' Words: citations often used in research papers; used when authors want to show that there is strength in numbers (shows that many others have studied this topic)

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