Grade Level: 5-8
Interest Level: 4-12
Reading Level: N/A

The Discovering Literature Series is designed to develop a student’s appreciation for good literature and to improve reading comprehension. While many skills reinforce a student’s ability to comprehend what he or she reads (sequencing, cause and effect, finding details, using context clues), two skills are vital. They are: discerning main ideas and summarizing the text. Students who can master these two essential skills develop into sophisticated readers. 64 pages.

Each chapter analysis is organized into three basic elements: Student Directives, Chapter Vocabulary, and Chapter Summary.

The Student Directives contain the main ideas in each chapter. They provide the students, working individually or in groups, with a framework for developing their summaries. Student Directives can also be used as group discussions.

The Chapter Vocabulary includes definitions of keywords from each chapter. To save time, students need only to copy, not look up, definitions.

A Chapter Summary for each chapter is included for teacher use and knowledge.

Throughout the guide Skill Pages and Tests are provided for to build an increased understanding of the book and to review student’s knowledge.

Table of Contents

About Chapter Organization
About the Skill Pages
About the Tests
About the Writer’s Forum
Chapter 1:

• Skill Page: About the Characters

Chapter 2:

• Skill Safe: Setting

Chapter 3:

• Skill Page: Figurative Language: Similes
• Writer’s Forum: What Do You Think?
• Test: Chapters 1-3

Chapter 4:

• Skill Page: Understanding Directions

Chapter 5:

• Skill Page: Elements of a Narrative & Outlining

Chapter 6:

• Skill Page: Sequencing
• Writer’s Forum: Issues & Writing About Yourself

Chapter 7:

• Skill Page: Comparison and Contrast

Chapter 8:

• Skill Page: Cause and Effect

Chapter 9:

• Writer’s Forum: Conflict
• Test: Chapters 7-9

Chapter 10:

• Skill Page: Figurative Language: Colloquialisms
• Skill Page: Identifying Characters

Chapter 11:

• Writer’s Forum: Poetry

Chapter 12:

• Skill Page: Plot Development
• Skill Page: Character Development
• Writer’s Forum: Round and Flat Characters
• Test: Chapters 10-12

Chapter Summary & Vocabulary (Blackline Master)
Sample Cover Sheet
Answer Pages