Portuguese Year 3: Making sense of a text: what you know, theme, subject and opinion
Portuguese, Year 3 (Portugal): Use what you already know to understand, say what the text is about (theme and subject) and give an opinion with reasons.
From what you know to your opinion
Understanding a text starts before you read: look at the title and the pictures and ask “What do I already know about this?” After reading, you say what it is about: the theme is the general idea (for example, fear) and the subject is what is told about it (a boy loses his fear of rain). Finally, you give your opinion about the text and explain why.
What you have lived helps you understand
What you already know and have lived helps you build the meaning: if you have ever been afraid, you understand a character who is afraid better. That is why it is worth recalling those experiences before reading. Saying the theme and the subject forces you to see the whole text, not just one detail. And whoever gives an opinion and explains it shows that they understood and that they thought about it.
“As botas amarelas”, step by step
Text: «O Tomás tinha medo da chuva. Um dia, a avó deu-lhe botas amarelas. Ele saltou nas poças e nunca mais teve medo.» (Tomás was afraid of the rain. One day his grandmother gave him yellow boots. He jumped in the puddles and was never afraid again.) Before: have you ever been afraid of something? Theme (the general idea): fear. Subject (what is told): a boy loses his fear of rain by jumping in puddles. Opinion: «Gostei do final, porque ele deixa de ter medo.»
“I liked it” is not enough
A critical opinion is not just “I liked it” or «É giro» (“It is nice”). The reader has to say why and show where it is in the text. A good opinion has three parts: what you think, why, and an example from the text. «Gostei do final, porque o Tomás deixa de ter medo quando salta nas poças.» You can talk about the content (what is told) or the form (how it is written or drawn). And you may dislike a text: you just have to give the reason.
Choosing and recommending books
You use this when you tell a friend what a book is about and whether they should read it, when you choose a book in the library by its title and cover, or when in class you say whether you liked a story and why. Whoever explains what they think reads with more attention and joins a conversation about books better, because others can understand the reasons.
Test what you learned
Before reading a text, what helps you understand it?
- a) Skip the title and start straight away
- b) Look at the title and the pictures and ask “What do I already know about this?”
- c) Learn all the difficult words by heart
- d) Ask a friend to read it and tell me
Correct answer: b) Look at the title and the pictures and ask “What do I already know about this?” — Yes: the title, the pictures and what you already know and have lived help you build the meaning as you read.
You read: «O Tomás tinha medo da chuva. Um dia, a avó deu-lhe botas amarelas. Ele saltou nas poças e nunca mais teve medo.» (Tomás was afraid of the rain. One day his grandma gave him yellow boots. He jumped in puddles and was never afraid again.) What is the theme?
- a) As botas amarelas (The yellow boots)
- b) A avó do Tomás (Tomás's grandmother)
- c) O medo (Fear)
- d) As poças (The puddles)
Correct answer: c) O medo (Fear) — Yes: the text is about fear, having it and losing it. The subject says more: a boy loses his fear of rain by jumping in puddles.
After reading «As botas amarelas» (The yellow boots), which sentence is a good critical opinion?
- a) «É giro.» (“It is nice.”)
- b) «O Tomás tinha medo da chuva.» (“Tomás was afraid of the rain.”)
- c) «Não gostei.» (“I did not like it.”)
- d) «Gostei do final, porque o Tomás deixa de ter medo.» (“I liked the ending, because Tomás stops being afraid.”)
Correct answer: d) «Gostei do final, porque o Tomás deixa de ter medo.» (“I liked the ending, because Tomás stops being afraid.”) — Yes: it says what you think, why, and points to something in the text. That is a critical opinion.
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