Closed Reading 11 - Meet Stegosaurus
Closed Reading 11 - Meet Stegosaurus
Closed Reading 11 - Meet Stegosaurus
Meet Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus was an interesting-looking
dinosaur. It had large plates shaped
like triangles along its back. However,
Stegosaurus had a very small head.
Stegosaurus also had weak jaws. It had no
teeth in the front of its jaws. It could not
tear through tough skin. Stegosaurus ate
things it found on the ground.
Comprehension Skills: 40 Short Passages for Close Reading, Grade 3 2012 by Linda Ward Beech, Scholastic Teaching Resources
The information that supports the main idea is usually referred to as the details. Details help a reader gain a fuller under-
standing of a paragraph.
Context Clues
Using context means determining an unfamiliar words meaning by studying the phrases, sentences, and overall text with
which the word appears. Context clues help readers comprehend and enjoy a text and also read more smoothly
and efficiently.
Inference
Although most primary students dont know what an inference is, many are most likely making inferencesboth in their
daily lives and when readingwithout being aware of it. Students should understand that writers dont include every detail
Comprehension Skills: 40 Short Passages for Close Reading, Grade 3 2012 by Scholastic Teaching Resources
in their writing; it is up to readers to supply some information. A reader makes a guess or inference by putting together
what is in a text with what he or she already knows. Inferring makes a significant difference in how much a reader gains
from a text.
Predict
Good readers take time to think about a text. One way they do this is by thinking ahead to determine what may happen
next or how an event will unfold. Often, information a reader has come across in the text provides has come across in the
text provides clues to what will happen next. In many cases readers also use what they already know when they make
predictions.