TEXT TO SELF: Compare Student and Character
Overall Goal: Help readers learn to listen and look at graphics so that they can compare
a character in a book to themselves or peers.
Materials: A book with characters that the students can relate to.
Chart paper or white board to record before reading activity
Before Reading Activity:
- Tell students, “Let’s begin by thinking of all of the words we know that we can use to
describe ourselves. I can start with one, I am ____. (write it down, think aloud while
writing). Can each of you give me a word that describes yourself?”
- Keep going until you have 10 or more that describe a person.
- Examples: boy, girl, nice, smart, funny, big, helpful
Clear Purpose for Reading / Listening: “As I read, I want you to listen to decide which of
our describing words describes <insert main character name> and which words do not describe
<insert main character name>.”
During Reading: Read the story. Stop only once or twice to remind students . . . “Remember,
you’re listening to find which of our words do and do not describe <insert main character
name>.” (point to the list). Don’t get into a discussion about descriptions, but just keep reading,
so students hear a fluent reading of the text. The purpose should be completed after reading the
whole story, not page-by-page.
After Reading:
Work with students as a group.
- Read each word on your list.
- For each word, take a vote to decide who thinks the word does and does not describe
<insert main character name>.
- Accept all answers – just record what students say at this point.
Now go back to the book, and ask students to help you find things that let you know a word
does or does not describe <insert main character name>.
- Tell students, “The first word on our list is <insert word>. Most of you said it did not
describe <insert main character name>. Let’s look at the book and see if we can find
anything that tells us <insert word> does describe <insert main character name>.’ ”
- Continue for several of the words on the list … particularly those that seem to pose
some controversy for the students.
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© Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC