“Theme Doesn’t Just Jump Out”: Teaching for Theme Comprehension

Abstract Teaching for theme is one aspect of reading comprehension that is often elusive for both teachers and students. Specifically, teachers are challenged with elevating students’ thinking from the plot level to a more abstract level when teaching for theme understanding. Students are challenged with transitioning between the story world and the real world to construct viable theme statements. The authors share some initial classroom lessons that can be taught as a starting point to guide students in their interpretation and construction of themes.