What is Compare and Contrast?
Compare means finding how things are SIMILAR or the same. Contrast means finding how things are DIFFERENT. Fifth graders need to compare and contrast characters, settings, events, and themes across texts to deepen their understanding of what they read.
On Florida's FAST assessment, students must identify similarities and differences between story elements and explain how these comparisons help them understand the texts better.
Key Vocabulary
Compare: Finding how things are THE SAME or similar
Contrast: Finding how things are DIFFERENT
Venn Diagram: A graphic with overlapping circles used to organize similarities and differences
Signal Words: Words that clue readers into whether things are similar or different
Signal Words Your Child Should Know
Words Showing SIMILARITIES
both, similarly, also, likewise, just as, in the same way, too, equally, as well as
Words Showing DIFFERENCES
however, but, yet, while, although, unlike, in contrast, on the other hand, whereas
Activities to Try at Home
🎬 Movie Comparison Night
Watch two movies with similar themes (e.g., two adventure movies or two movies about friendship) and discuss:
- "How are the main characters similar? Different?"
- "Both movies take place in _____. How are the settings alike or different?"
- "What do both movies teach about _____ (friendship, courage, family)?"
- "Which character would you rather be friends with? Why?"
📚 Book Version vs. Movie Version
After reading a book that was made into a movie, compare the two:
- "How was the main character shown differently in the movie?"
- "What parts of the book were left out of the movie?"
- "Which version did you like better? Why?"
- "How did the settings compare?"
👨👩👧👦 Family Members Comparison
Practice comparing and contrasting with familiar people:
- "How are you and your sibling/cousin alike? Different?"
- "Compare grandma and grandpa - what's the same about them? What's different?"
- "How is our family similar to our neighbors' family? How are we different?"
This makes abstract comparing/contrasting concrete and personal!
📖 Two Books, One Topic
Read two books on a similar topic and discuss:
- "Both books are about ___. How do they tell the story differently?"
- "Which main character changed more by the end?"
- "What lesson does each book teach?"
- "Would the characters from each book be friends? Why or why not?"
Questions to Ask While Reading
- "How is this character similar to one we've read about before?"
- "How is this setting different from the last book's setting?"
- "Both characters faced a problem. How did they handle it differently?"
- "What do these two stories have in common?"
- "If you could only recommend one of these books, which would you choose and why?"
Parent Tip: Go Beyond the Obvious!
Push your child past surface-level comparisons like "both are girls" or "both live in cities." Ask follow-up questions: "Okay, they're both girls, but how are their PERSONALITIES alike or different?" or "What do their actions tell us about who they are?" The goal is meaningful analysis, not just listing facts.
Comparison Sentence Starters
Help your child use these when discussing or writing comparisons:
For Similarities
- "Both _____ and _____ are similar because..."
- "Like _____, _____ also..."
- "_____ and _____ have _____ in common."
- "Similarly, both characters..."
For Differences
- "While _____ does _____, _____ does _____ instead."
- "Unlike _____, _____ is..."
- "In contrast, _____ ..."
- "However, the difference is..."
Venn Diagram Practice
Draw two overlapping circles on paper. Write one item's name above the left circle and another above the right. Put things that are ONLY true about the first in the left section, things ONLY true about the second in the right section, and things true about BOTH in the overlapping middle section. This visual tool helps organize thinking before writing.
Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)
Que significa comparar y contrastar? Comparar es encontrar como las cosas son SIMILARES o iguales. Contrastar es encontrar como las cosas son DIFERENTES.
Palabras que muestran similitudes: ambos, igualmente, tambien, de la misma manera
Palabras que muestran diferencias: sin embargo, pero, mientras que, a diferencia de, en contraste
Preguntas para hacer:
- "En que se parecen estos dos personajes?"
- "En que son diferentes?"
- "Que tienen en comun ambas historias?"
Consejo: Practique comparando cosas familiares primero - miembros de la familia, peliculas, o comidas favoritas - antes de pasar a comparaciones de libros.