Notice and Note
Signposts for Fiction
Notice When you
and NOTICE any of
Note these signpost
Contrast
an moments in a
Contradic d
tions fiction story,
AHA Moment poem, drama, or
Tough Questions
novel:
Again and Again
Words of the W
iser
● STOP
● ASK
● NOTE
Memory Moment
Did you Know?
Most fiction (short stories, novels, Since so many writers
plays, movies, t.v. shows, and even poems)
use similar tools,
writers use the same
knowing what the most
tools to write. These
common ones are can
tools are signals that
guide readers beyond
help readers
comprehension and
understand the text.
into analysis.
SIGNPOSTS
Reading fiction is similar
to taking a trip through
another place. You might
recognize some things
about the new land, but
others can be confusing.
Like when reading a
map, knowing what signs to
look for will make you more
"at home" in the literature.
How the Signposts were Identified:
Dr. Kyleen Beers and Dr. Bob Probst After a lot of very scholarly
analyzed many of the books most research and testing, they decided
commonly read by young people both that students could think more deeply
in and outside of school, and found and write more analytically about
some common moments in them. literature with the help of six of these
common tools.
They call them signposts, like
the signs along the road that help you
navigate a journey.
Signposts you Might Notice
➢ Contrast and Since these are general,
common devices, not every
Contradictions
story will have all of them
➢ Aha Moment They are listed, and are
➢ Tough Questions taught, in order from most
➢ Words of the Wiser common to least.
➢ Again and Again
➢ Memory Moment
Contrast and Contradictions
Ask:
NOTICE:
Why is the character doing that?
When a character does
something that contrasts NOTE: Write and/or discuss your
questions and possible answers to
with what you'd expect, or them.
contradicts his/her earlier
acts or statements, The answers might help you
make an prediction or draw
an inference about the
character, plot or conflict.
Contrast and Contradictions
How do the Ask Yourself:
character's words or
actions differ from Why is the
what you would character doing
expect, or contradict that?
things you know
about him?
What can you This might give you
predict about what insight into the
might happen later character and/or
in the story? foreshadow the
later plot events.
The AHA Moment
NOTICE: Ask:
When a character realizes, How might this change things?
understands, or finally NOTE: Write and/or discuss your
questions and possible answers to
figures out something, them.
If the character has realized what a
problem is, you have identified the
conflict of the story.
If the character has understood a life
lesson, you have identified the
theme.
AHA Moment
Ask Yourself:
What is the moment
when the characters How might this
realize what is going to change things?
happen?
Have they learned a
life lesson? If so,
what? This can help you
identify conflict
and/or theme.
Tough Questions
Ask:
NOTICE: What does this question make me
wonder about?
When a character asks
himself/herself a very NOTE: Write and/or discuss your
questions and possible answers to
difficult question, them.
The answers might help you identify
and analyze the conflict or even the
theme of the story, or to understand
a character's motives.
Words of the Wiser
Ask:
NOTICE: What's the life lesson and how
When a character (probably might it affect the character?
older and wiser) takes the NOTE: Write and/or discuss your
main character aside and questions and possible answers to
offers serious advice, them.
Whatever the lesson is, it will help
you determine the theme of the
story.
Words of the Wiser
What advice or
knowledge does the Ask Yourself:
older, wiser character
share with the
protagonist?
What's the life
lesson and how
might it affect
the character?
The answer is
likely a theme of
the story.
Again and Again
Ask:
NOTICE:
Why does this keep happening
When a word, phrase,
again and again?
image or situation is
mentioned over and over, NOTE: Write and/or discuss your
questions and possible answers to
them.
This repetition is an author's way of
telling you that something about this
word, phrase, or situation is
important. It might foreshadow
something that is coming. Use it to
predict what is coming up.
Again and Again
Ask Yourself:
Is there a word, Why does this
phrase, image or keep happening
situation that keeps again and
showing up? again?
This repetition
could be a clue
that the phrase
or word or
situation is
important. It can
help you predict
future plot
Sometimes, a repeated image becomes a symbol that is important to a events.
theme of the story.
Memory Moment
Ask:
NOTICE:
Why might this memory be
When the author important?
chooses to interrupt NOTE: Write your questions and
the action to tell you possible answers to them.
The answer will help you determine
about a memory, theme, conflict, or even
foreshadow future events.
Memory Moment
What do we learn Ask:
about the Why might this
character's past? memory be
important?
The answers might
help you identify
some
foreshadowing. It
also can help you
analyze a
character's
actions.
