“Disguises”By Jean Fong Kwok

Before, During, and After Reading Skills

Literary Response

“Disguises” 

Read the text carefully and note the way the author uses flashbacks to reveal details about

the characters. 

How effectively does Kwok use flashbacks in the story to help reveal details about

the characters?Explain your thoughts and ideas and use evidence from the text to support your

response.

Preparing to Read

• Identify the text features seen on pages 40-41.

• What is the Literary Focus element of this text?

• What are the two Reading Focus skills used in this text?

• What is the Writing Focus assignment and what are you asked to look for as you read the beginning of the text?

• Which Vocabulary words do you not recognize? How does this text help you with new words?

Author Information

• Read the “Meet the Writer” section on page 42.

• Make a list of at least three important facts you learn about the author.

• What do you think is the most important detail you learned from this information?

Before Reading Skills

Preview and Predictions

• Examine the text features located throughout the selection.

• Make a list of the things you “know” or “think you know” based only on the text features.

• Make a list of at least 3 things you want to know, but you need to read in order to find out.

• Which images do you think will be most important as you read the story?

During Reading Skills

Identifying a Sequence of Events

• Most stories follow chronological order, in which the story events occur in time order.

• In some stories, however, the writer interrupts the present time with flashbacks.

• As you read, look for clues that clarify the sequence of events and reveal the time and place in which the events took place.

Comprehension/Discussion Questions

Pages 43, 44, 45

A. Literary Focus – Flashback: Mrs. Chen is on her way home. What phrases in this paragraph suggest that a flashback is about to begin?

???

B. Reading Focus – Identifying Sequence of Events: What events take place within this flashback?

???

C. Literary Focus – Flashback: Why do you think that this flashback follows the flashback with the supervisor? What details about Mrs. Chen are revealed in this flashback??

???

A. The phrases “one… two… Three… four…” signal that a flashback is about to begin.

B. The supervisor threatens Mrs. Chen and tears up the skirt Mrs. Chen has sewn

C. The advice Mrs. Chen’s mother gives in the flashback relates to the supervisor scene. Her mother tells her she does not have to yield to people who assert their power. The flashback reveals that Mrs. Chen grew up in China, she was named Lai Fong before she married, and she was an only daughter.

Pages 46 & 47

D. Reading Focus – Identifying Sequence of Events: What do the other women on the subway do when Mrs. Chen gives the homeless man a quarter?

???

E. Reading Focus – Identifying Sequence of Events: What happens while Mrs. Chen sleeps?

???

F. Reading Focus – Identifying Sequence of Events: Why is Mrs. Chen so scared? What previous event caused her to be so frightened?

???

Pages 50 & 51

G. Reading Focus – Identifying Sequence of Events: Why does the subway clerk roll his eyes when he sees Mrs. Chen? What happened earlier that gave the clerk such an opinion of Mrs. Chen?

???

A.Making Judgments – Do you think the author did a good job of creating characters? Explain your ideas and thoughts.

B.Drawing Conclusions – How do you think Mrs. Chen’s experience will affect her in the future? Explain the reasons for your response.

Stop and Think!!!