Connecticut Reading Comprehension Strands
The “A” Strand: Forming a General Understanding
A1: Main Idea & Theme
- A1-a: What lesson does _____ learn in this story? (The Honest to Goodness Truth by Patricia McKissack)
- A1-b: What is the theme of this story? (Eggbert, the Slightly Cracked Egg by Tom Ross)
- A1-c: What is the main idea of this text? (A Platypus, Probably by Sneed B. Collard III)
- A1-d: What would be another good title for this book? (How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz)
- A2-a: Using information from the story, write a brief description of how _____ felt when _____ .(The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark by Carmen Deedy)
- A2-b: What is _____’s main problem in the story? Use evidence from the story to support your answer. (Melissa Parkington’s Beautiful, Beautiful Hair by Pat Brisson)
- A2-c: How did _____ solve his/her problem? (Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by Claire Nivola)
- A2-d: How did _____ change from the beginning to the end of the story? (The Raft by Jim LaMarche)
- A2-e: What is the setting of this story? (Momma, Where are you From? By Marie Bradby)
- A3-a: Briefly summarize this story. (The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane)
- A3-b: Summarize the important things that happened in this [book] in order. (A River Ran Wild: An Environmental History by Lynne Cherry)
- A3-c: Briefly summarize this text. (Extra! Extra! Fairy-Tale News from Hidden Forest by Alma Ada)
- A4-a: Predict what will happen next in the story. (Silver Packages by Cynthis Rylant)
- A4-b: If the author added another paragraph to the end of the story, it would most likely tell about _____ . Use information from the story to support your answer. (The Empty Pot by Demi)
The “B” Strand: Developing an Interpretation
B1: Identify or Infer the Author’s use of Structure/Organizational Patterns
- B1-a: What caused _____ to happen in the story? What were some of the effects? (Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBrier)
- B1-b: What happened at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the story? (This is the Dream by Diane Shore & Jessica Alexander)
- B1-c: Compare these two characters. (As Good as Anybody by Richard Michelson)
- B1-d: Can this part of the [story/text] be described as: a definition, a description, an explanation, a conversation, an opinion, an argument, or a comparison? How do you know? ( Dear Mrs. LaRue by Mark Teague)
Including or Omitting Specific Details in Text
- B2-a: Why did the author include this paragraph? (The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg)
- B2-b: Why did the author write a [poem/story/nonfiction book, etc.] about this? (Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison)
- B3-a: Prove that the character is very _____. (Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree Mitchell)
- B3-b: What facts (details) show that _____? (The Flag We Love by Pam Ryan)
The “C” Strand: Making Reader/Text Connections
C1: Connect the Text to a Personal Experience, Another Text, or the Outside World
- C1-a: Make a personal connection to an experience in a text. (Something Beautiful by Sharon Dennis Wyeth)
- C1-b: Make a connection to an important feeling in the story. (One Green Apple by Eve Bunting)
- C1-c: Would you like _____ for a friend? Why or Why not? (Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven)
- C1-d: Using evidence from the text, explain whether you would ever want to _____. (Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin)
- C2-a: Which part of the story/article do you think was most important? Use information from the story to explain why you chose that part. (The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson)
- C2-b: What part of this [story/article] was most interesting or surprising to you? Why? (Goin’ Someplace Special by Patricia C. McKissack)
- C2-c: Did you like this [story/article]? Why or why not? (Pebble: A Story About Belonging by Susan Milord)
- C2-d: What was your first reaction to this text? (Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Khadra Mohammed)
D1: Examine the Author’s Craft
- D1-a: What words does the author use to help you picture _____? (Water Dance by Thomas Locker_
- D1-b: Choose a simile and explain why the author chose this simile. (The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow)
- D1-c: How did the author create humor in this book? (The School Nurse From the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler)
- D1-d: Give an example of personification in this text. (Dear World by Takayo Noda)
- D1-e: Do you think the author made this story believable? Why or why not? (Pictures From Our Vacation by Lynne Rae Perkins)
- D2-a: What two questions would you like to aske the author that were not answered in this text? (Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexandra Wright)
- D2-b: Imagine you are going to give a talk to your class about _____. What two points would you be sure to include in your speech? (So You Want to be President? By Judith St. George)
- D2-c: Using information in the text, write a paragraph that could have appeared in _____’s journal after _____ occurred. (Going Home by Eve Bunting)
- D3: Show that You Understand What was Important to an Author or Character
· D3-a: What is important to the author/character? How does the author/character show this? (Weslandia by Paul Fleischman)
· D3-b: How are your customs and values different from the customs/values described in this story/article? (The Lotus Seed by Sherry Garland(