Fiction Comprehension

Fiction passages all feature certain story elements. Understanding these elements and being able to cull them from the full passage will aid in their comprehension.

• Plot - The plot of a fictitious passage is the meat of the story. It is the word we use to describe the events that are happening to the characters.
• Setting - The setting refers to the where and when of the story. These are referred to as the physical and the chronological settings.
• Character - The character refers to the actors in the story as well as their personalities. Your student should be able to tell if the character is generous or selfish, virtuous or wicked, supporting their claims with examples from the text.
• Symbol - The symbol in a story is something in the passage that is physical but represents something intangible. These are often elusive if not completely imagined by the reader, but having your students seek them out will lead to a much deeper comprehension of the passage they read.
• Point of view - The point of view refers to how the story is told and who it is told by. The first person point of view is when a character in the story is recounting the events from their perspective. Third person is when the story is told from an omniscient point of view.

Having your students approach fictional passages asking who, what, where, why, when and how will help them to understand the passage. Practicing with the resources provided above by Education.com may help them to do this as they move forward.