Reading

CURRICULUM FOCUS

We are learning to infer characters’ ulterior motives when making decisions in fiction.

VOCABULARY

Inferring: an idea or conclusion that is made from evidence or reasoning. 

Motivation:. the reason why somebody does something. 

Ulterior motive: the hidden reason why someone said or did something. 

ACTIVITIES YOU CAN DO AT HOME TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING

Read a text with your child, get them to make inferences about the character’s motivations, traits and actions as they are reading. 

Ask them to justify with evidence from the text using content knowledge and background knowledge. 

Why did the character choose to do that? 

What do they feel and why? 

What motivated the character to do that? 

What type of character are they? 

How do you know and why? 

What was the character’s ulterior motive? 

How do you know? Justify with evidence.