Text Reading and Comprehension: Similarities and Differences

We will read this book today. Point to the title as you read it aloud. Ask students to read aloud with you as you read it again. Can someone point to the author’s name? Read the name of the author aloud. How do we know Gina Shaw is the author? (The cover says, “By Gina Shaw.”)

Now let’s look at the different parts of the book together. Turn to the table of contents. This is the table of contents. Who can find the word chapter? The table of contents tells us how many chapters are in the book and what each one is called. Read the chapter titles aloud, noting that there is a glossary at the end of the book. A glossary tells us the meaning of some important words in the book. Go back to the beginning of the book and turn pages, pointing out and naming text features, including chapter headings, photograph labels, and the diagram on page 10. Read some of the chapter headings and labels, and prompt students to use them, along with the photographs, to predict what the book is about. List the students’ predictions on a board or chart.

I saw this word in one of the photograph labels. Turn to page 8 and point to the boldfaced word on the page and in the label for the photograph. Now let’s figure out what this word means. It is made up of two little words, ant and hill. Who can tell me what an ant is? (a small insect) What is a hill? (a pile of dirt) We can use these meanings to understand anthill. It is a pile of dirt made by ants. Check the meaning by reading the glossary definition. Repeat the process for the remaining words, providing breakdown as modeled above, if time allows.

Now let’s look at some other words that you will find in this book. Write the words queen ant and nest on a board or projector. Walk the students through the meaning of queen ant by asking questions about the meaning of queen. A queen is a ruler. The queen ant must be the ruler of a group of ants. Then ask students what a nest is. (a place where birds, turtles, alligators, and other animals lay eggs or live) Explain that since the book is all about ants, a nest must also mean a place where ants lay eggs or live. Read the glossary definitions aloud again.

Before we read our book, let’s learn about something that will help make you even better readers. When two things are the same in some way, we say they are similar. Have children repeat similar. Now, I want you to think about a dog and a bird. How are these alike, or similar? (Both are animals, both can be pets.) When things are not the same, we say they are different. Have children repeat different. How are these two animals not the same, or different? For further support, use the colors of children’s clothing or classroom objects to question children about similarities and differences in the classroom.

When we read our book, I want you to think about how some things are similar and some things are different. We will talk more about this later in our lesson.

Now that I have read the book one time, let’s read it again. This time, we will look at some important lines and photographs. I will also ask questions along the way. Include the following examples in your discussion. Add others, depending on your students’ needs and the instructional time available to you.

How many kinds of ants are there in all? (more than 10,000) Point to the photographs. What do you notice about the colors of these ants? (They are not all the same color; some are red (or brown) and some are black.)

Which ant is the biggest in a colony? (the queen ant) Turn to page 6 and point to the large queen ant in the center of the photograph. How can you tell which is the queen ant? (She is the biggest ant.)

What is an ant’s home called? (a nest) Then turn to page 9. What does this picture show? (It shows the rooms in an ant’s nest.) Read the text aloud. How are ant nests like people’s homes? (They help keep the ants safe.)

This chapter says ants are important. What are some reasons why they are important? (They mix soil; they make plants and trees grow better; they eat insect pests; they are food for other animals.)

Earlier in this lesson, we talked about how things can be similar or different. Remind students the ways in which a dog and bird are similar and different. Now let’s look at our book again to see if we can find other examples of things that are similar and different.

Look at these pictures. All of the ants are similar. That means they are alike in some ways. How are they similar, or alike? (They have six legs; they have two feelers; their bodies look alike.) How are they different? (They are different colors.)

Listen carefully. Read the text aloud. How are ants different? (They can live in different places.)

Now that we have read the book more carefully, who can tell me what we learned? Use what you remember from the book and the photographs to tell your ideas. (We learned all about ants; we learned that ants are important.) What are some of the facts that you have learned about ants? Multiple responses that support book details are acceptable. What is one way all ants are alike? (Possible response: their bodies look the same.) Use students’ explanations to determine individual understanding.

I will reread a chapter name. Tell me some important things you learned about ants in each chapter. Prompt students to reveal key details found in the text. You may use words and pictures in your book for help. Use the details that students offer to determine individual understanding. Remind students that text features such as the table of contents are helpful tools in locating facts and key details in a text.

Now we are going do some drawing and writing. Let’s look at some pictures again. Turn to page 9 and invite students to describe what they see. Repeat the activity for page 10. Now, it’s your turn to make a picture and tell us about it. You can draw an ant’s nest, like the picture on page 9. Or you can draw an ant’s body, like the picture on page 10. Then write two sentences that tell about your picture. If time permits, encourage students to share and explain their work.