Why We Look for Special Words in Stories
Long ago, people told stories by talking out loud. They used their voices to make stories come alive! They would whisper for scary parts and shout for exciting parts. When people started writing stories down, they needed special words to help us feel and see what was happening.
Today, when we read stories, we look for feeling words and sensory words. These help us understand what characters feel and what things are like in the story.
What Are Feeling and Sensory Words?
Stories use two special kinds of words to help us understand what is happening. Let's learn about each one!
Feeling Words
Sensory Words
Why They Help
Feeling words tell us about emotions. Sensory words tell us about our five senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.
See How Words Paint Pictures
Look at the story example in the picture! Can you see the feeling word "happy" and the sensory words "loud," "soft," and "fresh"? These words help us picture what is happening and how the girl feels!
How to Be a Word Detective
Finding feeling and sensory words is like being a detective! Here are the steps to follow when you read any story.
- Step 1: Read the story slowly and carefully.
- Step 2: Ask yourself: How do the characters feel?
- Step 3: Look for words about the five senses.
- Step 4: Circle or underline the special words you find.
Examples of Special Words in Action
Let's look at some story examples and find the special words together! Each example shows different types of feeling and sensory words.
| Story Example | Feeling Words | Sensory Words |
|---|---|---|
| "Tom was excited to eat the warm, sweet cookies." | excited | warm (touch), sweet (taste) |
| "The scared cat heard the loud thunder." | scared | loud (hear) |
| "She felt happy smelling the fresh flowers." | happy | fresh (smell) |
| "The angry boy saw the bright red ball." | angry | bright (see), red (see) |
Notice how each story example has at least one feeling word and one sensory word. When we find these words, we can better understand what is happening in the story and how characters feel!
Let's Find Words Together
Let's practice finding feeling and sensory words in this short story. We'll work through it step by step!
Different Kinds of Special Words
There are many different feeling and sensory words. Let's learn about the different types you might find in stories!
| Type of Word | Examples | What They Tell Us |
|---|---|---|
| Happy Feelings | happy, excited, glad, cheerful | The character feels good |
| Sad Feelings | sad, upset, disappointed, lonely | The character feels bad |
| Sight Words | bright, dark, colorful, shiny, big | How things look |
| Sound Words | loud, quiet, noisy, musical, soft | What things sound like |
| Touch Words | soft, hard, smooth, rough, warm | How things feel |
What Comes Next
Now that you know how to find feeling and sensory words, you can learn even more about reading! Let's see what skills you can build next.
| What You Know Now | What You'll Learn Next |
|---|---|
| Find feeling words in stories | Understand why characters feel that way |
| Find sensory words in stories | Use sensory words in your own writing |
| Spot special words in simple stories | Find them in longer, harder books |
As you get better at reading, you'll learn to find more complex words that describe feelings and senses. You'll also learn how to use these words when you write your own stories!
Practice Finding Special Words
What You Learned
Great job learning about feeling and sensory words in stories! You now know that feeling words tell us about emotions like happy, sad, and excited. Sensory words help us understand what characters see, hear, touch, taste, and smell.
Remember to be a word detective when you read! Look for words that tell you how characters feel and what things are like using your five senses. These special words make every story more exciting and help you picture everything that happens. Keep practicing, and you'll become an amazing reader!