Skills and Strategies to

Help You Read Fiction

What is Fiction• Made up stories that are

productions of the imagination • Types of Fiction:• Myths• Folk tales• Short stories• Novels• Plays

What is comprehension• Have you ever finished reading

something, only to realize you can’t say much about it?

• You read the words, but you didn’t really get any meaning.

• Comprehensions means understanding

Before Reading: Preview the story and

set a purpose for reading

•Look at the titles and picture

•Skim through and read a few words on each page

The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss pg657

• Preview the story by looking at:• The title• Pictures• Scan a few of the words on each

page• Discuss with group what you

think the story will be about

During Reading: Connect

• Do the characters share thoughts or experiences that you have read? • Does the story remind you

of an event or a person you’ve hear or read about?

Connect: The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss pg 657

But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly SneetchesWould brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!”And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking,They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

When the Star-Belly children went out to play ball,Could a Plain Belly get in the game? Not at all.You only could play if your bellies had starsAnd the Plain-Belly children had none upon thars.

Connect:

• Have you ever felt left out for any reason?

• Have your read about another character who went through this same problem?

During Reading: Question

• Ask questions as the story unfolds.

• The events characters and ideas in the story should make sense to you.I wonder when the

character will tell the truth.

Question: The Sneetches by Dr. SeussWhen the Star Belly Sneetches had frankfurter roastsOr picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts,They never invited the Plain-Belly SneetchesThey left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches.They kept them away. Never let them come near.

And that’s how they treated them year after year.Then ONE day, it seems while the Plain-Belly SneetchesWere moping and doping alone on the beaches,Just sitting there wishing their bellies had stars,A stranger zipped up in the strangest of cars!

Question:• I wonder….• What going to happen to…

During Reading Predict:• As you become more involved in the

story, try to predict what happen next In the story.

• Look for clues that hint at events to come

Predict: The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss

• Read the next 4 paragraphs• Predict what you think is going

to happen in the story. • Explain your answer

During Reading: Visualize• As you read about a character,

place or event pay attention to the descriptive details.

• Try to imagine how something might look, sound, feels, taste or smell.

• Can you picture the setting in your mind?

Visualize: The Sneetches

by Dr. Seuss• Read the rest of the story • As you read turn the story into a

movie in your mind.• Create a picture with the words

you read.

After Reading: Clarify• Reread when necessary to

make sure you understood what you’ve read or to answer any questions you still might have about the characters.

After Reading: Evaluate and Summarize

Think about the characters and their actions

Do they seem realistic?Summarize the text. Give

the main idea or basic plot