When you read a story, the words on the page tell you a lot if you look carefully. Good readers hunt for clues about who the people are, where and when the story happens, and what they do.
Why this matters: Finding facts in a story helps you understand it, retell it to others and answer questions in tests. It is the first step to becoming a strong reader.
Who, what, where, when
Every story has people or animals (the characters) and a place and time (the setting). The main character is the one the story is mostly about.
Read this story:
On Saturday morning, Aisha walked to the park with her little brother Yusuf. The sun was warm and the grass was still wet. Aisha helped Yusuf feed bread to the ducks by the pond. When it was time to leave, Yusuf smiled and said, "That was the best morning ever!"
On Saturday morning, Aisha walked to the park with her little brother Yusuf. The sun was warm and the grass was still wet. Aisha helped Yusuf feed bread to the ducks by the pond. When it was time to leave, Yusuf smiled and said, "That was the best morning ever!"
Finding the facts
To find who, look for names: Aisha and Yusuf. To find where, look for the place: the park. To find when, look for the time: Saturday morning.
Putting events in order
Stories happen step by step. Words like first, then, when and at last help you spot the order.
Put these events from the story in order:
- Aisha walks to the park with Yusuf
- Aisha helps Yusuf feed the ducks
- It is time to leave and Yusuf smiles
Tip: The main character is usually named the most and does the most. In our story, that is Aisha.