NL Grade 6 Reading key terms

The most important point a paragraph or whole text is about. It is often stated in a topic sentence but sometimes must be worked out from details.

A sentence, usually near the start of a paragraph, that names what the paragraph is mainly about and helps the reader follow the writer's plan.

A fact, example, reason, or description that explains or proves the main idea. Details answer questions such as who, what, when, where, why, and how.

A short retelling that keeps only the most important ideas and events, in your own words, without personal opinion or small details.

A big message about life or people that a story suggests, such as honesty matters or change is hard. A theme is broader than one story's events.

A word describing what a character is like inside, such as brave, selfish, or patient. Traits are shown through actions, words, and thoughts.

The reason a character acts or feels a certain way, such as fear, love, jealousy, or hope. Readers work it out from what the character says and does.

The sequence of events in a story, usually built from a problem, rising action, a turning point, a resolution, and an ending.

The central struggle in a story. It may be a character against another person, against nature, against society, or against a problem inside themselves.

The part of a story where the main problem is settled and the reader learns how things end for the characters.

The position from which a story is told. First person uses I or we; third person uses he, she, or they, and may be limited or all-knowing.

The voice that tells a story. The narrator may be a character in the story or someone outside it who reports events.

A reading task that asks you to find how two things, texts, or characters are alike and how they differ, often using a chart or diagram.

A link between events in which one thing makes another happen. Signal words include because, so, as a result, and therefore.

The order in which events or steps happen. Signal words such as first, next, then, and finally help readers track the order.

A fact can be checked and proved true. An opinion is a personal belief or feeling and often uses words like best, should, or beautiful.

Words, facts, or examples from the text that support an answer or claim. Strong answers point to specific evidence rather than guessing.

Information in nearby words or sentences that helps you work out the meaning of an unknown word, such as a definition, example, or opposite.

A word part added to the beginning of a base word that changes its meaning, such as un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite.

A word part added to the end of a base word that changes its meaning or its job in a sentence, such as -ful in hopeful.

The main part of a word that carries its core meaning and can stand alone or combine with prefixes and suffixes to form new words.

The simplest form of a word before endings are added, such as help in helpful or helping. Endings may change tense or number.

A word that means nearly the same as another word, such as quick and fast. Synonyms help writers avoid repeating the same word.

A word that means the opposite of another word, such as hot and cold. Antonyms are often used as contrast clues in a sentence.

One of two or more words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings, such as their, there, and they're.

A word spelled the same as another word but with a different meaning, and sometimes a different sound, such as a bow you wear and a bow you shoot.

Language that goes beyond literal meaning to create pictures or feelings, including similes, metaphors, personification, and idioms.

A comparison of two unlike things using like or as, such as her voice was as soft as velvet.

A comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, such as the classroom was a zoo.

A common phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from the separate words, such as under the weather meaning unwell.

A reasonable conclusion drawn by combining clues in the text with what you already know, even though the text does not state it directly.

A thoughtful guess about what will happen next, based on clues in the text and your own experience, which you check as you keep reading.

Looking over a text before reading it closely, using titles, headings, pictures, and captions to build an idea of what it will be about.

A part of a text that is not the main body of sentences but helps readers find and understand information, such as headings, captions, maps, or indexes.

A short title above a section of text that tells what the section is about and helps readers locate information quickly.

A short line of text placed under a picture, diagram, or photograph that explains what it shows or why it matters.

A chart, web, or diagram used to sort information from a text, such as a Venn diagram for comparing or a timeline for sequence.

The way a writer organizes ideas in a text, for example by cause and effect, sequence, comparison, or problem and solution.

The reason a writer created a text, usually to inform, persuade, or entertain. Clues include word choice, tone, and the kind of details included.

A word or phrase that shows how ideas connect, such as however for contrast, because for cause, or finally for sequence.