Nonfiction Signposts

recognizing author’s craft to enhance comprehension and generate inferences.

Quoted words Word Gaps

Contrasts and Extreme and Statistics and
Contradictions Absolute language Numbers

When the author When the author When the author When the author When the author
D shows you how uses language that uses specific includes opinions of uses unfamiliar
e things/people/ideas leaves no doubt quantities or someone who is an vocabulary.
f contrast or about a situation or comparisons to expert
i contradict (argue) on seems to show amount, size, Do I know this word
n from somewhere
e
another exaggerate or scale.
else?

What is the
? difference and why
does it matter?
Direct signals : On the
C other hand, by contrast,
l however, another
u viewpoint is…
e You think: We don’t live
s like this Or our
government isn’t that
way…
Why did the author Why is the author Why is this person Does it seem like
use this language? use (or not use) quoted? What technical talk for this
numbers? does this quote topic?
add to the text?
Direct signals : all, Direct signals : 90%, Direct signals : Doctor Context Clues
none, everyone, 3,400, 1 out of every Soandso, Professor 1. Prefix, Suffix, Root?
always, never, totally 10, four times as many Soandso, “……” 2. Synonyms or
Antonyms?
You think: It is not You think: Why do I 3. Read around the
possible for ALL people need to know how You think: Can I trust work…
ALWAYS to… many, most, some, or this quote? 4. LOOK it UP!
taller than…

Recognizing nonfiction signposts help

readers_________________________________________________________.
 Key Topic
The FRAME Routine
is about…

gaining a questioning stance to help readers critically think about a real issue.
Main idea Main idea Main idea

Essential details Essential details Essential details

What surprised me? What did the author think What changed, challenged, or
I already knew? confirmed what you already
knew?
Details
I was shocked when… I did not know… At first I thought___but…
reader
I never thought… I was confused by… I had to rethink…
should I changed my mind when…
Really? The author assumed/thought I
think I could not believe… knew… I was right/wrong about…
about
during -visualize (The author thought I -We read nonfiction to learn.
-new info (I didn’t know that!)
and -suspicious info (Really…is that could picture this.) -Learning involves changing the
after true?) -prior knowledge (The author way we think about an issue or
reading thought I knew about it before.) idea.
-clarifying info (Oh! Now I get
-sequence/causal relationships -We can change is several ways.
it!) 1. Confirm what we know.
-different perspectives (I hadn’t (The author thought I would
2. Modify our thinking
thought of it that way.) understand how this happens.) 3. Change our minds completely
So What? (What’s important to understand about this?)

Asking myself the BIG 3 BEFFORE I decide on a multiple choice answer will help
me think critically and prevent me from making mistakes.