When reading a story, it is important to _____ or find the intended meaning.

Understanding the intended meaning of a story is essential for fully grasping its themes, messages, and nuances. When readers focus on what the author is trying to convey, they engage more deeply with the material, allowing for a richer appreciation of the narrative and its context. This can involve looking for morals, lessons, or emotional resonances that the author has woven into the fabric of the story.

While analyzing illustrations can enhance comprehension, it does not directly address the core meaning of the text itself. Counting characters may provide structural insights but misses the interpretive depth necessary to grasp a story's intention. Searching for errors is a task more aligned with proofreading than with understanding or interpreting the narrative. Therefore, seeking to uncover the author's purpose is the most effective approach to comprehensively understanding the text.