Strategies To Help Your Student's Understanding

1. Reading Prose and Poetry

Have your learner read a variety of literary texts, broadening their exposure to diverse narrative styles and poetic forms. Encourage in-depth analysis by prompting your learner to:

• Analyze the interaction between character development, setting, and plot, exploring how these elements intricately weave together to drive the narrative. Focus on how the setting influences character behavior and how plot events trigger character evolution.

• Analyze two or more themes, identifying the underlying messages or big ideas that the author conveys through the text. Examine how these themes develop and intertwine throughout the narrative, noting any contradictions or reinforcing elements.

• Analyze how an author develops and individualizes perspectives of different characters, paying close attention to narrative voice, internal monologues, and dialogue. Discuss how these perspectives shape the reader's understanding of the characters and the overall story.

Have your learner read a variety of poems, encompassing different eras, styles, and cultural backgrounds. Enhance understanding by asking your learner to:

• Analyze elements such as structure (e.g., sonnet, free verse), sound (e.g., rhythm, rhyme), imagery (e.g., visual, auditory), and figurative language (e.g., metaphors, similes). Evaluate how these elements contribute to the poem's overall meaning and aesthetic impact.

2. Reading Informational Text

Expose your learner to a range of informational texts, including scientific articles, historical documents, and journalistic pieces. Stimulate critical thinking by asking your learner to:

• Analyze how individual text sections (e.g., introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion) and/or text features (e.g., headings, subheadings, images, charts) convey purpose and meaning in a text. Assess the effectiveness of these elements in enhancing clarity and comprehension.

• Analyze two or more central ideas, tracing their development throughout the text. Discuss how these ideas are introduced, supported by evidence, and refined as the text progresses.

• Explain how an author establishes and achieves purpose through rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, pathos) and/or figurative language. Evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in persuading the reader or conveying information.

• Track the development of an argument in the text, identifying the types of reasoning used (e.g., inductive, deductive) and their effectiveness. Analyze potential flaws in the argument and suggest ways in which it could be strengthened.

3. Reading Across Genres & Vocabulary

Diversify your learner's reading experience by including texts from various genres. Enhance comprehension and analytical skills by asking your learner to:

• Analyze how figurative language contributes to the meaning of the text, providing specific examples of symbolism. Discuss the deeper implications of these symbols and how they enhance the text's thematic complexity.

• Compare and contrast the use or discussion of simple archetypes (e.g., hero, villain, mentor) within the text. Explore how these archetypes function across different narratives and cultures.

• Explain how an author uses simple rhetorical devices (e.g., repetition, rhetorical questions) to support or advance an appeal (logos, ethos, pathos). Evaluate the impact of these devices on the reader.

• Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and/or affixes to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases. Encourage the use of etymological resources to deepen understanding.

• Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials, and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases. Discuss how these nuances affect the text's overall impact.