STAAR Reading
Objective Review
Plot
Plot is the literary element that describes the structure of
a story. It shows arrangement of events and actions
within a story.
Plot Components
Climax: the turning point, the most
intense moment—either mentally
or in action
Rising Action: the series of
conflicts and crisis in the story that
lead to the climax
Falling Action: all of the
action which follows the
climax
Exposition: the start of the story,
the situation before the action starts
Resolution: the conclusion, the
tying together of all of the threads


Topic: Who or what
the text is about.

Main idea: what the
author wants us to
know about the topic


Supporting Details:
the evidence and
analysis that
supports the main
idea.
Stated main idea: a
general sentence that
states exactly what
the reader should
learn about the topic.
Implied main idea:
the main idea that is
suggested by the
supporting details.
Author’s Purpose
Reasons for Writing
Writing to Persuade
The MAIN purpose is to convince the reader.
Examples
Persuasive Essays
Persuasive Speeches
Persuasive Letters or notes
Persuasive writing attempts to change the
reader’s mind or get them to do something.
Writing to Inform
The MAIN purpose is to enlighten the reader.
Examples
Expository essays
Nonfiction texts
Instructions or directions
Informational writing may be entertaining, but
the MAIN purpose is to inform.
Writing to Entertain
The MAIN purpose is to amuse readers.
Examples
• Stories
• Poems
• Plays
You may learn something from a story, but
the MAIN purpose is to entertain.
Reading Skills
to remember:
Theme – A message about life or human
nature that the writer shares with the reader.
You may need to infer what the writer’s
message is.
One way to figure out the theme is to watch
for the lessons learned by the main
characters to people in real life.
Help in finding the
THEME!
SIGNPOSTS TO NOTICE AND NOTE!!
USE THESE STRATEGIES!
“AGAIN AND AGAIN”
When you notice a word, phrase, or situation mentioned
over and over, STOP and ask yourself, “Why does this keep
happening again and again?” The answer will tell you about the THEME
and CONFLICT, or will foreshadow what might happen later in the story.
Help in finding the
THEME!
SIGNPOSTS TO NOTICE AND NOTE!!
USE THESE STRATEGIES!
AHA MOMENT
When a character realizes, understands, or finally figures out something,
STOP and ask yourself, “How might this change things?” If it is about a
problem, it tells you something about the CONFLICT; if it is a life lesson,
it tells you something about the THEME.
Reading Skills
to remember:
Summarizing – To summarize is to briefly
retell the main ideas of a piece of writing in
one’s own words.
Somebody wanted
Characters
Plot
but
Conflict
so
Resolution
Point of View
One of the most important decisions a
writer makes as they write a story is the
narrative point of view he/she will use.
The point of view is the narrator’s
perspective. Through whose eyes will you,
the reader, see the story?
FIRST PERSON
The reader only knows the thoughts and feelings of
the narrator as he or she tells the story through their
eyes.
First person point of view uses the keywords “I,” “me,”
“my,” “we,” “us,” and “our.”
THIRD PERSON LIMITED
The reader only knows the
thoughts and feelings of one
main character.
Third person limited point of
view uses the keywords
“he/she,” “him/her,” “they,”
“them,” “their,” and the
character’s name.
THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT
The reader knows the thoughts and feelings of all the main
characters (more than one). Omniscient means having total
knowledge or knowing everything.
Third person omniscient point of view uses the keywords
“he/she,” “him/her,” “they,” “them,” “their,” and the
characters’ name.
NOTE: The keywords are the same as third person limited, so
you have to be careful about knowing the difference between 3rd
person limited and 3rd person omniscient!
Subjective Point of View
When writers
emphasize or share
their own personal
feelings, thoughts,
judgments, and
opinions, their writing
is defined as
subjective.
Objective Point of View
Objective writing
presents facts and
figures only. It does
not include the
writer’s beliefs or
feelings.
Warning!
Some texts may combine objective writing and
subjective writing. For example, a biographer
may include his or her opinion of the person
about whom he or she is writing, as well as
report the facts regarding that person’s life. It
is important to recognize which segments are
written objectively and which are written
subjectively.
Organization
Passage Organization
O Sequence- presentation of the events in the
O
O
O
O
order they happened. (Transition Words)
Compare- tell how things are similar
Contrast- tell how things are different
Problem/Solution- present a problem of
some kind of and then follow up with a
resolution or solution to the problem.
Cause/Effect- give a reason that something
is happening, and then follow up with the
effect it will have as a result.
Making Generalizations
Using what you read
&
 What you already know

When you read, you may
see ideas about groups of
people, animals, or things.
What you read & what you already
know helps you to make a general
statement about a group.
This is called a:
Generalization
.
Generalization Key Words







Sometimes
Always
Never
Most
Many
All
Generally
Valid Generalizations

Valid means true.
Supported by facts
 Agrees with what you already know
about the topic
 Uses logic and reasoning
 Proven with several examples

Faulty Generalizations

Faulty means false.
Not supported by facts
 Watch for the key words: none, all,
always, never, everyone, nobody

Context Clues
Information (such as
a definition, synonym, antonym,
or example) that appears near a
word or phrase and offers direct
or indirect suggestions about
its meaning.
Types of Context Clues
Context clues come in various forms.
They may be a definition of the word
embedded in the text
The factory supervisor demanded
an inspection, which is a careful and
critical examination of all of the meats
processed each day.
Types of Context Clues
a synonym or antonym in a word,
phrase, sentence, or paragraph around
the word
The boxes weren't exactly heavy,
just cumbersome, unlike the easy-tocarry bags with handles.
(Here cumbersome can be figured out
from its antonym, easy-to-carry.)
Types of Context Clues
 an example that helps define the
word
The builder decided that the house
could be built on a number of sites, for
example, along a wooded path, near
the ocean, or atop a mountain.
Types of Context Clues
 a restatement of the word or idea
Gary Paulsen writes books that appeal,
or are of particular interest, to young
adult readers.
• An inference is something that you conclude based
partly on evidence and partly on your own knowledge.
• When you make an inference, you read something, add
what you know to it, and draw a conclusion.
• You put “two and two together” or “read between the
lines.
What I Read +
What I Already Know =
What I Infer
The girl had tears
in her eyes.
People with tears in
their eyes are often sad.
The girl is sad.
The house stood at the top of a hill surrounded by
twisted, bare trees. The girl shivered in the cold
wind and brushed the wet snow from her shoes.
She remembered her nice, warm home in Florida
with its sandy beaches and warm sunshine.
Slowly, she walked toward her new home.
How does the girl feel ??
What I Read +
The setting creates a
dreary, sad, unwanted
Mood.
1. Thinks of her old home
2. Walks home slowly
What I Know =
Already
1. It’s hard to move to
a new place.
2. When you move you lose
things you care about.
What I Infer
The girl does
not like her new
home and prefers
her old home.
Indirect characterization is when the author
SHOWS things that reveal the personality of
the character.
There are FIVE different methods of
Indirect Characterization:
Speech
Thoughts
Effect on other characters
Actions
Looks
(STEAL)
Speech- What does the character say? How
does the character speak?
Example: “Hey, we can have lots of fun at
camp this summer! I love being outside!”
This shows us the character is upbeat and
happy.
Thoughts- What is revealed through the
character’s thoughts and feelings?
Example: I wish it would stop raining. I am
tired of sitting inside!
This shows us the character is not happy about
the situation.
Effect on Others- What is revealed through
the character’s effect on other people?
How do other characters feel or behave in
reaction to the character?
Example: The boy glared at his sister as she
ate his dessert.
This shows us that the character is upset
about his sister’s behavior and her
inability to think of others.
Actions- What does the character do? How does
the character behave?
Example: The girl rode the lawn mower
through the house and into the garage.
This shows us the girl is not concerned with
rules or safety.
Looks- What does the character look like? How
does the character dress?
Example: The little girl left the game with
slumped shoulders and a frown on her face.
This shows us the little girl is not enjoying
herself and is upset.
Remember, the difference between direct
characterization and indirect
characterization is TELLING v. SHOWING!
Indirect characterizations are like clues
about the characters. There is no mystery
with direct characterization because the
author gives us the information we need to
know!
What is Persuasion?
A means of convincing people:
 to buy a certain product
 to believe something or act in a
certain way
 to agree with a point of view
Jennifer Bernhard, Literacy Specialist Clark County Schools
Common persuasive techniques
often used in advertising
Slogan
 Repetition
 Bandwagon
 Testimonial
 Emotional Appeal
 Expert Opinion

Purpose?
Slogan: “Can you hear me now?”
A catchy phrase or statement often used to
sell a service or a product
Repetition:
The name of a product is repeated many times
HEAD ON Apply
directly to the
forehead
HEAD ON Apply
directly to the
forehead
HEAD ON Apply
directly to the
forehead
Bandwagon
A statement suggesting that everyone is
using a specific product, so you should
too
Testimonial
A well-known person supports a product
or service
Emotional Appeal
A person is made to have strong feelings
about a situation or product
Expert opinion
Experts approve this product, so you
should use it
“Four out of five dentists recommend
sugarless gum for their patients who
chew gum”
Audience Awareness
Advertisers know how to

target their audiences

use appropriate persuasive technique
Who is the audience?
Audience?
Audience?
Purpose?
Persuasive
technique?
Audience?
Purpose?
Persuasive
technique?
Jennifer Bernhard, Literacy Specialist Clark County Schools
A great speech, at its heart, is a story well told. Therefore, many literary
elements that we are accustomed to seeing in literary pieces are also
found in speeches. Below are a few of the most common devices that
you may encounter in a speech:





Alliteration-the repetition of the
beginning sound of a word
Parallelism-the repetition of similar types
Allusion-a reference to a famous person,
historic event, or a work of literature
Epigraph-a quote set apart from text
Aphorism-a succinct statement of
philosophy or principle (usually an
aphorism phrases a complex or wise
thought in a brief and compelling way)