Infer Theme

Stephanie invited her friends to her birthday party. She didn't know the new girl, but she thought it would be mean to leave her out. When the girl came to Stephanie's house, her mom brought in a huge cake and pizza for all. She told Stephanie thank you for inviting her daughter!

• Slow and steady wins the race

• Actions speak louder than words

• Kind deeds can reward you in many ways

• The new girl had a nice mom

The message or lesson that the author wants you to learn from the story is called the

• thesis

• summary

• theme

• plot

Can shows and movies on TV have themes?

• No, only books can.

• TV shows and movies don't fit into any themes.

• They can have themes just like books can.

• They are the only literary works that can have themes.

Where can a reader find the theme in MOST stories?

• It stated directly in the text.

• A character tells you.

• The reader must understand what the character has learned and infer the theme.

• Books or movies do not have themes.

The theme of a text is its

• summary

• message

• point of view

• answer

Which is an example of theme?

• One person can make a difference.

• Missy knew she would always be grateful.

• The donkey was stubborn and did not change.

• Sir John became famous for slaying the dragon.

What does theme add to a story?

• A sense of location.

• An important message.

• Motivation for the characters.

• Dialogue for the characters.

When determining a theme, the reader should first consider...

• the illustrations

• the subject or topic

• the title

• the length of the story 

One way you could figure out the theme is to...

• Skim through the story

• Just read the beginning of the story

• Think about what the character has learned

• Read the ending of the story

Which of the following is an example of THEME?

• Carry your laptops with two hands at all times.

• Cereal is the healthiest food you can eat.

• How much wood a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

• Life is short; make the most of it.