Reading for Meaning

 

A sample lesson

The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop

 

One day a great lion lay asleep in the sunshine.  A little mouse ran across his paw and wakened him.  The great lion was just going to eat him up when the little mouse cried, “Oh, please, let me go, Sir. Some day I may help you.” 

The lion laughed at the thought that the little mouse could be of any use to him. But he was a good-natured lion, and he set the mouse free.

Not long after, the lion was caught in a net.  He tugged and pulled with all his might, but the ropes were too strong.  Then he roared loudly. The little mouse heard him, and ran to the spot. “Be still, dear Lion, and I will set you free. I will gnaw the ropes.”

With his sharp little teeth, the mouse cut the ropes, and the lion came out of the net.

“You laughed at me once,” said the mouse. “You thought I was too little to do you a good turn. But see, you owe your life to a poor little mouse.”

 

A mastery sentence is a sentence that says what other sentences in the story say.  Check these sentences below with the fable above and find a similar match.

1. The lion wanted to eat the mouse.
2. The lion thought a little mouse could never help him.
3. The mouse knew he could be helpful.

Understanding Sentences try to say what much of the story is about.  Sometimes, it is important to know why things happen in a story. At the end of this story, the mouse feels important, despite his size. Which events below made the mouse feel important?

1. Someday I may help you.
2. The mouse was set free.
3. The mouse rescued the lion.
4. The mouse gnawed at the ropes.
5. The mouse told the lion that he owes the mouse his life.

Synthesis Sentences say what the whole story means.  Fables are stories that teach us how to behave in order to be happy.  Fables usually have morals.  Read through the morals below and decide which you feel fits with the story.

1. Always obey your mother and father.
2. A little adventure is a wonderful thing.
3. Size doesn’t matter when it comes to being  good inside.
4. Determination is one key to success.
5. Never judge a book by its cover.

These sentence styles may be developed and applied to any story read in class or at home.  By developing these sentences/questions, students will gain mastery over their reading skills, as they continue to develop comprehension through the high school years.