Before Reading
Think about What You Know
Read the Prereading page carefully. The information will help you understand when and why the letter was written. Answer the Reader's Journal question. Discuss your answer with a small group of your classmates.
During Reading
Use What You Know
1. Listen as your teacher reads the first paragraph of the letter aloud. With your classmates, discuss how what you already know helps you to understand this paragraph.
2. Continue reading on your own. Make a list of important points Adams makes in this letter. If you are having trouble understanding some of Adams's points, remember what you read about her in About the Author section. Review the Prereading page if necessary.
Fix-Up Idea: Reread
If you are having trouble understanding, try rereading the letter. Stop after each paragraph to make sure you understood what you read. Write a sentence summarizing the paragraph if you understand it. If you still don't understand, go through sentence by sentence to see if you can get the meaning. Then put the ideas together to understand the whole paragraph.
After Reading
Share Your Connections
Share your list with your group from the During-Reading activity. Discuss how what you already knew about Adams helped you to better understand the letter.