Grade 4 Reading practice

Step 1: Context clues

Context clues are hints in the sentence that explain a new word.

Example: What does "fragile" mean? The fragile glass vase broke when it was barely touched.

Tip: Cover the word and think of a word that would fit.

Step 2: Shades of meaning

Some words mean almost the same thing but are stronger or weaker: warm, hot, scorching.

Example: Which word means the MOST happy?

Tip: Put the words in order from weakest to strongest.

Step 3: Idioms

An idiom is a saying that means something different from its words.

Example: What does this idiom mean? You hit the nail on the head!

Tip: Don’t read it word by word. Think about when people say it.

Step 4: First or third person?

First person uses I and we. Third person uses he, she and they.

Example: What point of view is this? My heart pounded as I stepped onto the stage.

Tip: Look for the pronouns the narrator uses.

Step 5: Author’s purpose

Authors write to persuade, inform or entertain (PIE).

Example: Why did the author write this? Buy Crunchy Bites! They’re the tastiest, healthiest snack around. Get yours today!

Tip: Ask: is it selling, teaching or telling a fun story?

Step 6: Pick the best summary

A summary tells the most important ideas in a few words.

Tip: A good summary covers the beginning, the main events and the end, not one small detail.

Step 7: Theme and lesson

A theme is the big lesson a story teaches.

Example: What is the lesson of this story? A boy kept shouting "Wolf!" as a joke. When a real wolf came, nobody believed him.

Tip: Ask: what did the character learn, or what should I learn?

Step 8: Problems, solutions and main ideas

Many stories have a problem and a solution. Articles have one main idea that every paragraph supports.

Tip: For the main idea, ask: what is every paragraph about?