Good afternoon everyone, while I was reviewing the information on Literal and Implied meaning, I came across some additional details that might help some of you with imparting the knowledge to your children or students.
In a previous post, I discussed implied meaning. In this one, the focus is on inferential questions. Some people may think that the two are completely different, and may become confused with how they are used interchangeably with reading comprehension. So, let me state it clearly:
Authors imply meaning. This means the author is giving information to suggest something without stating it outright.
Readers infer meaning. This means that the reader is looking at the words and expressions used in order to come to conclusions that are not stated outright.
So, these two terms are two sides of the same coin. The person presenting the information implies ideas, and the person receiving the information infers ideas.
There are generally four types of inferential questions which will be explained further in this post. Below are some examples:
Example Text The scientist knew that if she left the plants in the outside tank, they would most likely freeze. She made her way out of the building.
Question What will the scientist likely do next?
Answer The scientist will most likely take the plants from the tank outside and put them in the building.
Example Text Jeff looked in all directions and trembled as he made his way through the empty building. He grabbed the doorknob and walked cautiously into the room.
Question How do you think Jeff was feeling? OR How does the reader know Jess was afraid?
Answer Jeff was afraid because he was trembling, looked in all directions, and cautiously entered the room. OR Readers know Jeff was afraid because the text says he was trembling, he looked in all directions, and he cautiously entered the room.
Example Text Monarch butterflies are picky eaters that only eat milkweed. Because of that, many perish after their annual migration. Each year, thousands of Monarch butterflies travel to warmer areas to breed. When they return home months later, there is less food to eat due to habitat loss and the destruction of milkweed by humans.
Question Why are there fewer monarchs today?
Answer Monarch butterflies only eat one kind of food, and when that food is gone, there is nothing for them to eat. Their food is being destroyed and there is less for them to eat, so there are few butterflies to reproduce.
Example Text Kena liked watching the team practice. She also knew if she stayed in the locker room, she would see Hattie. Kena tried her best to stay out of Hattie’s way because Hattie asked a lot of embarrassing questions and could be mean sometimes. Kena decided to leave.
Question Why did Kena most likely want to leave?
Answer Kena most likely wanted to avoid seeing Hattie because she didn’t like being around Hattie.
The information in this post was taken from one of the free resources offered at teacherspayteachers.com
Good evening everyone, so far in our comprehension series, we’ve looked at different types of comprehension questions, reading and writing as communication, purpose, main ideas, and topics. In this post, we’ll be looking at literal versus implied meaning.
LITERAL MEANING
For many students, when a question asks for literal interpretation of the text, it’s easy to find the answers. A quick skim of the text for key words from the question usually yields the correct answer.
Literal questions require answers that are facts found in the reading, and are concrete ideas that are either correct or incorrect. One can simply check the reading to see what the answer is or should be.
These questions often ask for specific details such as names, dates, locations, and actions.
– Where did Sandra go to eat lunch?
– What was the name of Henry’s pet cat?
– Who did Idris call when he got home?
When we talk about literal meaning, we’re referring to information that is given directly, with specific words. There is no room for interpretation, no guessing, since the answers are clearly stated in the text.
IMPLIED MEANING
When questions ask for implied meaning, however, many students become confused because the information is no longer straight forward. They’re required to think about the words they see and come up with plausible responses.
The most important thing to remember about implied meaning, is that while the meaning cannot be found directly stated in the text, it must be supported by information in the text. So even though there may be different interpretations to a response, evidence must be provided to support the perspective taken.
As a result, some interpretations would be more valid, logical, and plausible than others. The merit of a response is judged by how well-supported it is.
These types of questions often include the words infer, implied, suggest, conclude, think, and why.
– What does the writer imply about Leanna’s intentions in paragraph 4?
– What can you conclude about D’jhon’s feelings toward his father?
– What time of year do you think it is?
Readers encounter two types of meaning in texts – literal and implied. Literal meaning is stated outright and leaves no doubt what the writer intended. Implied meaning is more subtle and is subject to various interpretations, but must be supported by details in the text.
When meaning is implied, students must make educated guesses based on the details found in the text. To do that, students must make connections between the literal information presented by the writer and previous knowledge, then draw conclusions.
Generating effective responses to inferential questions means mastering the following:
Inferring supporting details – guessing additional facts the writer could have included to make the reading more interesting
Inferring main idea – identifying main idea when not stated
Inferring sequence – guessing what happened before an action, between two stated actions, or after an action
Inferring comparisons – identifying similarities and differences in characters, places, or eras.
Inferring cause and effect – speculating about motives and intentions of characters
Inferring character traits – guessing about the nature of a character based on stated behaviors
Predicting outcomes – guessing the outcome of a text after reading only a part of it
Inferring figurative language – guessing literal meanings from figurative language
THREE STRATEGIES
Present students with an object they’re not familiar with. Ask them to guess what it’s used for. Then, present another object that is used together with the first, and ask student to guess the connection between the two. Finally, show students how the first object is used with the second object.
Use objects students can safely manipulate. For example an egg separator and an egg; an apple corer and apple; garlic press and garlic; shoe horn and shoe.
Write simple sentences with one word replaced with the word ‘cucumber’ or any other word of choice.
For example: A dog has four cucumbers. Ask the students to change the word cucumber for a more appropriate word. As they share responses, ask what word gave them a clue about what would best replace cucumber. Follow up that discussion by asking the students to relate the clue word to their background experiences and to explain what background information helped them find the best substitute word.
Use television advertisements for discussion. Watch the advertisement and critically analyse why each image or action was used. Ask questions like: What are the advertisers trying to get you to buy? How is that action meant to encourage you to buy the product?
Use advertisements for food, laundry detergent, car insurance, mobile services.
(Adapted from various sources. Inquire if you’re interested in further reading.)
When responding to an inferential question, it is important to include reasons for the answer. Many students neglect to include sufficient reasons for their answer and thus lose marks in comprehension exams.
One strategy for ensuring that questions are answered sufficiently is PEE. Students will get a kick out of being reminded to PEE when answering inferential questions. This system was originally designed for lengthy responses to literary questions, but functions quite effectively at this level as well.
P = Point E = Evidence E = Explanation
Point – What is the inference you’ve made in response to the question? What’s your point?
Evidence – What in the text led you to come to this conclusion? Give one or two details as evidence. These details are explicitly stated in the text.
Explanation – How are the details connected to the point? What about the details that caused you to make the inference?
The word ‘because’ is used quite frequently in these types of responses, but isn’t the only format that can be used.
* Harry is angry at his father because he … (insert evidence).
* The writer implies that…(insert conclusion)…in the statement…(insert evidence)…
* Readers can infer… (insert conclusion)…from…(insert evidence)…
NOTE: For SEA, students will not be required to give a detailed written explanation, however it is important for them to understand the connection as it would assist them in adequately supporting their answers. This technique is valuable throughout a student’s academic career, and can be used at CSEC, and university.
One point of contention when discussing reading comprehension is whether or not students should read questions or the passage first. Some advocate reading the passage first, and others advocate reading the questions first. Here are three reasons I advise reading the questions first.
Once there are questions to answer you are no longer reading for pleasure. There is a different purpose for reading at this point, and reading the questions first helps in focusing the reader. Consider it a part of pre-reading activities aimed at giving readers insight into the passage. Other pre-reading activities include reading the title and description of the passage. These help focus thinking on the content and activities at hand. It’s like a transition from the last section to this section.
Reading questions first also gives readers an idea of how they need to approach questions. It’s not expected that readers should try to memorize all the questions; all they need is to get a sense of how many questions are factual or inferential, and which require thought beyond the passage. It allows students to assess the situation and create a strategy for responding.
“In the passage” questions can be dealt with quickly, and a scan of the passage for keywords from the question will help students locate answers and respond effectively. This saves time that would be needed to answer questions that require more thinking.
Under exam conditions when time is a factor, this strategy makes a difference because it allows students to work with precision and accuracy. The strategy works best when students understand the different types of questions they may be asked, so identifying what questions are asking for is something that also must be taught.
Today we continue with our discussion on how to improve reading comprehension. This post is about main ideas and purpose. I’ve also added in the concept of ‘topic’ because all three are connected when it comes to understanding what we read.
The first step toward figuring out main ideas and purpose, is to understand that writing is communication. There is a writer, the person composing the message. There is the text, which contains the message. And, there is a reader, the person deciphering the message. Readers should remember that there is another person at the other end of the experience who created the text for a reason.
Once readers recognize the role of the writer in creating the text, then we can ask ourselves a few questions regarding the writer’s intentions. Even before we think about main idea, we should ask ourselves why the writer created the text. Answering ‘why’ leads to identifying purpose. Why did the writer create this text? What were his or her intentions? What was he or she hoping to do? Remember, writing is communication, so think of what impact the writer hoped the text would have on the reader.
After identifying purpose, consider what the text is about. What is the topic? What is the text about? The topic of a text is what the writer is talking about. To find the topic, check each sentence to see what details are provided. Repeated words give an idea of the topic, although sometimes synonyms are used, so keep an eye out for those.
The main idea is what the writer is saying about the topic. It’s the writer’s opinion, main concern, or belief about the topic. Sometimes the main idea is stated in a sentence, and sometimes information is given that guides readers to an implied main idea. The main idea is often influenced by the purpose, so knowing purpose first helps in understanding and identifying the main idea, especially when the main idea is implied.
In short, the purpose is the reason the writer created the text. The topic is what the text is written about, and is often a single word or phrase. The main idea is what the writer wants us to know about the topic, and is usually expressed in one or two sentences.
Main idea, topic, and purpose are connected.
Teaching them together within an overall view of writing and reading as communication between a writer and a reader, allows students to place the concepts within a real-world context.
Two practical ways to decipher purpose:
1. Knowing the source of a text and its intended audience can assist in determining its purpose. This means thinking about who wrote the pamphlet, and who they wrote it for.
Government and academic sources are more likely to be informative than business or magazine sources.
2. Observe the language and the way content is delivered. Short and direct sentences usually mean some type of instruction. Longer sentences using adjectives and descriptive language, point toward description. Formal, impersonal language usually means an intent to explain or inform, and opinions supported by evidence, or an appeal to emotions is used to persuade.
NOTE: The three main purposes are Persuade, Inform, and Entertain. Instruct and Explain are often positioned under Inform. Describe can be placed under entertain.
Knowing the purpose of a text helps in figuring out the main idea. Here are a few variations to questions you can ask about purpose to help determine the main idea.
Inform – What is the main thing writer telling me about this topic?
Persuade – What does the writer want me to do or think? What’s the opinion the writer is trying to get me to agree with (or disagree with)?
Describe – What picture is the writer trying to get me to imagine? What is the writer saying about that picture?
Instruct – What is the writer trying to get me to accomplish?
Explain – What is the writer saying (opinion) about what happened, or how something works?
Entertain – What emotion is the writer trying to get me to feel?
NOTE: If the text is a poem, play, or story, chances are the purpose is to entertain. The main idea of these types of texts are often connected to themes, which go a bit beyond the obvious ideas to a message the writer is trying to convey. Theme will be discussed in another post, as it does not particularly apply to the SEA context.
Some children have difficulty understanding the abstract thinking required to determine main idea because they think quite literally. If the main idea isn’t stated explicitly, it’s often challenging to decipher it. To assist such children in grasping the concept, visual, tactile, and kinesthetic activities can be incorporated into the instruction.
Identifying the main idea is like putting a label on a group of similar ideas. So, getting children to work on grouping items, finding similarities between a group of objects they can see and manipulate, can assist them in moving toward the more abstract concept of main ideas in texts.
Option 1: asks the teacher to present photos of related objects.
For example, choose a game like cricket or football and present 5 to 7 photos of objects related to the game. The children have to guess what is the common idea/theme. Other possibilities include any sport, parts of a house, fruits, vegetables, and any group that can be represented with photos. Students may also be presented with several mixed photos and asked to group them, and label the group. Additionally, they may be asked to draw items to create their own groups.
Option 2 is an alternative to the photo activity which involves physical objects and a container, a bag, or box, to house the objects.
A class may be divided into teams, and each team has to go around the classroom and create a main idea concept using objects they find. The activity helps children group ideas into topics, and the concept of opinion can be introduced using emojis or other symbols. Students may even create their own emojis or symbols to express opinions on the topics represented by the objects in the box or bag.
In addition to creating and explaining their main idea box/bag contents, other teams may be asked to guess rather than being told. Students can then verbally express main ideas, recognize the difference between main ideas and topics, and understand that supporting details are important in establishing main ideas. This applies to both comprehension and writing.
After looking at figurative language last week, you probably realize that sometimes words don’t follow the rules. Even if you have a dictionary and can look up the definition of a word, you could still have a hard time figuring out what the word means in a reading passage. Enter “context clues” to save the day. This post explains what context clues are, how they help readers decipher the meaning of words and phrases without a dictionary or outside help, and how to get others using context clues effectively.
When we read, we sometimes come across words we don’t know. This is a great way to build vocabulary, especially if you have the internet or a dictionary at hand to tell you the meaning of the new word.
But we don’t always have that luxury, especially during an exam. It can be intimidating when we’re asked “What’s the meaning of X-Word” and that’s the first time you’ve seen “X-Word.” Some readers shut down, some panic, and the meaning of the passage is lost, all because of one word.
Sometimes, however, writers are aware that they’re using words readers might not be familiar with, and they helps us out by giving us clues to the meaning of the word right there in the passage. These clues are called Context Clues because they’re found in the context of the passage.
The thing to remember about context clues is that they’re not always in the same place.
Some context clues are found within the same sentence as the new word.
Some are found in the sentences before or after the one with the new word.
You can even figure out the meaning of a word by thinking about how the word is used in the sentence, whether it’s a noun or verb or adjective.
The trick is to always remember that context clues exist. Once children remember that they can get help with vocabulary words right there in the passage they’re reading, they won’t feel as anxious when they come across a new word. It’s all about building confidence by teaching strategies.
There are different types of context clues, and one way to remember them is to think of them as AIDES. Since context clues aide our understanding of meaning in a passage, this acronym is a good fit.
A – Antonyms. Sometimes, writers give us the opposite meaning of the word. Example: Our new teacher is cranky and unapproachable, but our last teacher was affable. The word ‘but’ indicates contrast, so we know affable is the opposite of cranky and unapproachable.
I – Inference. Sometimes the meaning of word is implied and meaning is derived from reading the sentences before and after. Example: My blouse is torn. When I pulled it over my head, it got caught on my earrings. In this sentence, there’s an explanation of how a blouse is used so you can guess it’s something you wear like a shirt.
D – Definition. Example: Sedentary individuals, people who are not very active, often have poor health. In that sentence, the word sedentary is defined. Usually, definitions are put within commas, or come after words such as ‘refer’, ‘be called’, ‘may be seen as’, or ‘which is’.
E – Example. Sometimes an example of the word is given, and this helps in figuring out what the word means. Example: She likes contact sports; for example rugby, football, and martial arts. From the examples given, we can guess that contact sports are those in which players get into physical contact with each other.
S – Synonyms. Sometimes writers use other words that have similar meaning to the new word. Example: Elephants are enormous. They are the largest land mammals. In this case another, more familiar word is used the same way the word enormous is used. By looking at the two sentences, we can guess that ‘largest’ means something similar to ‘enormous.’ They are synonyms, so ‘enormous’ would mean something large.
The main thing with teaching context clues, is to get children to understand that there is help with figuring out the meaning of new words. Many children get anxious when they meet words they don’t know, and don’t even try to figure them out. They either ask someone to give them the definition, or they check their dictionary, or they give up and skip the word altogether.
So, when teaching context clues, let children know that this isn’t a test in itself, but a way to help them when they’re reading and doing comprehension questions. Explain that “I don’t know” is not a suitable answer to “what does that word mean”. They should always try to figure out the meaning for themselves before checking the dictionary or asking for help.
One way to make this fun is to make it a game. Whenever doing comprehension exercises or reading and children come across a word they don’t know see who can figure it out first. Keep a tally of points and at the end of a set time period, the person who gets the most points wins. There need not be a tangible reward, just bragging rights as the person who figures out context clues.
As an added incentive to get everyone involved, have them work in groups and the group gets the points only when everyone has the correct answer. Make it so that the same person can’t always give the answer, and every time an answer is given it must be accompanied by “I figured out that meaning because…” So the person giving the definition must say how they came up with the answer.
For those students who are tactile learners, you can work ahead and identify words in the passage that may be challenging. Write or print easier synonyms that the children would know. Give them the synonyms and let them know that while reading they may come across words they don’t know. The meanings are on the slips and the context clues would help them know which words are the right ones to substitute. This gives students something to manipulate and move around while they’re reading.
The more children use context clues, the more at ease they will become with using them. This means such exercises should be done often. Skill development in this area is essential for faster reading, better comprehension, and reduced anxiety.
