How To Teach Your Children To Pass A Reading Test: The Story Plot
Part 4
Story Maps for Reading Comprehension
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What Is a Story Map?
A story map is a visual organizer that helps break down a story into its key parts: the beginning, the middle, and the end. This includes identifying important elements such as the characters, setting, problem, and solution, i.e. story plot.
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Why Is It Important?
Organizing a story into these parts helps children understand the narrative structure, which in turn makes it easier for them to recall details and answer questions on reading tests. By knowing where events occur (at the beginning, middle, or end), students can more accurately locate and understand information in the text.
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How to Use a Story Map:
Teachers or parents can use familiar stories, movies, or even recount a typical day to illustrate the structure. As children practice placing events in the correct order, they build the skills needed for better reading comprehension and test performance.
Exercises to Practice Skills
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Fill-in-the-Blank Story Map:
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Materials: A short story with missing labels for the beginning, middle, and end.
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Activity: Students read the story and fill in the blanks by identifying:
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Beginning: Who are the characters and what is the setting?
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Middle: What problem or challenge arises?
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End: How is the problem resolved?
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Goal: Strengthen their ability to identify and articulate the core elements of a story.
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Sequence Jumble:
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Materials: Cards with different events or key moments from a well-known story.
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Activity: In pairs or small groups, students mix up the cards and then work together to arrange them in the correct order: beginning, middle, and end.
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Discussion: Have students explain their reasoning for the sequence.
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Goal: Reinforce their understanding of narrative order and causal relationships in stories.
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Create Your Own Story Map:
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Materials: Blank story map templates.
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Activity: Ask students to create a short story based on a personal experience, a favorite movie, or an imaginative tale. They then fill in the story map with:
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Beginning: Setting and characters.
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Middle: The conflict or main event.
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End: How the conflict is resolved.
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Sharing: Students can share their maps with the class or in small groups.
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Goal: Encourage creativity while solidifying their grasp of story structure.
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For Older students.
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Introduce the Five Key Elements of a Plot
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Help your child understand the five main parts of a plot:
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Exposition – The beginning of the story where characters, setting, and background information are introduced.
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Rising Action – The events that build up the story, introducing problems or challenges.
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Climax – The most exciting or important part of the story where the problem reaches its peak.
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Falling Action – The events that happen after the climax, leading toward a solution.
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Resolution – The ending, where problems are resolved and the story concludes.
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1. Use Graphic Organizers
Provide your child with a plot diagram (a simple mountain shape) to fill out while reading a story. This helps them visually break down the different parts of the plot.
2. Ask Guiding Questions
Encourage your child to think critically by asking:
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Who are the main characters?
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What is the problem in the story?
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How do the characters try to solve it?
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What is the most exciting part?
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How does the story end?
3. Practice with Short Stories or Familiar Books
Start with simple, well-known stories (like fairy tales or fables) and ask your child to identify each part of the plot.
4. Act It Out
Have your child retell or act out the story, focusing on the key plot elements. This makes learning interactive and memorable.
5. Encourage Writing
Ask your child to create their own short stories using a clear plot structure. This reinforces their understanding of how a story develops.
Education Staff Writer
Reutzel, D. R., & Cooter, R. B. (2019). Using story plots to improve reading comprehension in early grades. The Reading Teacher
