What Is Rising Action
Rising action is the series of events in a story that develop the conflict and build tension toward the climax. It's where the main problem gets more complicated, characters face obstacles, and readers become invested in what happens next.
For struggling readers, understanding rising action matters because it teaches them to track how events connect to one another. Readers with dyslexia or processing difficulties often miss these cause-and-effect relationships, which reduces comprehension by 20 to 40 percent compared to typical readers at the same age level. When students can identify rising action, they develop a mental framework for predicting outcomes and staying engaged with the text.
How It Works With Struggling Readers
Rising action appears differently depending on reading level. A second-grade book might introduce rising action through a single obstacle (the character loses something, then searches for it). A fifth-grade chapter book layers multiple complications: the character discovers a problem, attempts to solve it, fails, and tries a different approach.
Teaching rising action to struggling readers requires explicit instruction. Many reading intervention programs based on Orton-Gillingham principles focus on decoding and phonics first, but rising action instruction comes later in the comprehension sequence. Once a student can decode 90 percent of words on a page independently, you can teach story structure. Use graphic organizers that map events in order: what happens first, then what complication arises, then what happens because of that.
For students with dyslexia or working from an individualized education program (IEP), comprehension goals often include "identifying rising action in grade-level texts." This appears on IEPs as a measurable objective because it's observable and testable. A student might be asked to list three events that led to the climax or explain why each event mattered to the story.
Practical Strategies
- Start with short texts under 500 words so students aren't overwhelmed by tracking multiple events
- Pause reading after rising action completes and ask, "What problem do we still need to solve?" to check understanding
- Use timelines or flowcharts with pictures and words to show how one event causes the next
- Compare rising action across books at different reading levels to show how complexity increases
- Connect rising action to students' own experiences: "Remember when you wanted something but kept running into problems? That's rising action in real life"
Connection to the Larger Plot
Rising action occupies roughly 50 to 70 percent of most narrative texts. It's longer than the exposition (where characters and setting are introduced) and longer than the falling action (what happens after the climax). This structure helps readers predict where they are in a story. If a student realizes the rising action is still unfolding, they know the climax hasn't arrived yet.
Common Questions
How do I help a reader who can decode words but doesn't follow what's happening? This indicates a comprehension gap separate from decoding. The student may need explicit instruction in tracking cause and effect. Start by identifying one clear cause-and-effect pair in a sentence, then expand to events across paragraphs. Many struggling readers benefit from re-reading the rising action section while marking or highlighting each event.
My student's IEP includes a goal about understanding plot. Does that include rising action? Yes. Plot includes all story components: exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. If the IEP says "identify plot elements in grade-level texts," rising action should be taught and assessed as part of that goal.
At what reading level should I introduce rising action? Most curricula introduce basic rising action concepts around grade 3 or 4 (levels P-S on guided reading scales). Struggling readers may encounter this concept later. The key is matching instruction to comprehension ability, not chronological grade, which is why assessments matter before IEP placement.