What Does "Comparing Texts" Mean?
When we compare texts, we look at how two (or more) authors write about the same topic but make different choices. Authors have different purposes (why they wrote it), different perspectives (how they see the topic), and different approaches (how they organize and present information). Fifth graders need to identify these differences and understand why they exist.
On Florida's FAST assessment, students often read paired passages and answer questions about how the texts are similar and different in their treatment of a topic.
Key Vocabulary
Perspective: The way someone sees or thinks about a topic
Approach: HOW an author chooses to write about something (structure, style, focus)
Purpose: WHY the author wrote the text (to inform, persuade, entertain)
Emphasis: What the author focuses on or spends the most time discussing
Activities to Try at Home
📰 News Comparison
Find two news articles about the same event from different sources:
- What facts do both articles include?
- What does each article emphasize or focus on?
- What is the tone of each article? (Neutral? Excited? Concerned?)
- Why might the authors have made different choices?
📚 Book vs. Movie Discussion
After reading a book and watching its movie adaptation:
- How did the filmmakers change the story? Why might they have done that?
- What did the book show that the movie couldn't?
- What did the movie show that the book couldn't?
- Which version better helped you understand the characters?
🏠 Family Perspectives
Ask different family members to describe the same event (a vacation, holiday, family memory):
- What do their stories have in common?
- What does each person focus on or remember differently?
- Why might they remember different things?
This shows that perspective shapes how we tell stories - just like how authors' perspectives shape texts!
🔍 Research Project
Pick a topic and find two different types of sources (e.g., encyclopedia + personal blog, or textbook + interview):
- Who wrote each source? For whom?
- What is each author's purpose?
- How are they organized differently?
- Which would be better for different tasks?
Questions to Ask When Comparing Texts
- "What is similar about how these texts discuss the topic?"
- "How are the texts different in their approach?"
- "Why do you think each author wrote this? What's their purpose?"
- "Who is each text written for?"
- "What does each author focus on or emphasize?"
- "Which text would be better if you wanted to [specific purpose]?"
Parent Tip: Neither is "Wrong"!
Help your child understand that when texts differ, it doesn't mean one is right and one is wrong. Different approaches serve different purposes. A science textbook and a personal diary about the same topic are BOTH valuable - they just give us different kinds of information. Teach your child to think about WHICH text is better FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE rather than which is "better" overall.
What to Compare in Two Texts
Content Questions
- What is each text ABOUT?
- What facts are in both?
- What's unique to each?
Style Questions
- How is each organized?
- What is the tone?
- Who is the audience?
Sentence Starters Your Child Can Use
- "Both texts discuss..., but Text A focuses on... while Text B focuses on..."
- "The tone of Text A is... whereas Text B has a more... tone."
- "Text A would be better for... because..."
- "Unlike Text A, Text B..."
- "The authors agree that... but disagree about..."
Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)
Que significa "comparar textos"? Cuando comparamos textos, vemos como diferentes autores escriben sobre el mismo tema pero hacen diferentes decisiones. Los estudiantes deben identificar similitudes y diferencias en proposito, perspectiva y enfoque.
Vocabulario importante:
- Perspectiva: Como alguien ve un tema
- Proposito: Por que el autor escribio el texto
- Enfoque: En que se concentra el autor
Preguntas para hacer:
- "Que tienen en comun estos textos?"
- "Como son diferentes?"
- "Cual texto seria mejor para [proposito especifico]?"