As students share the similarities and differences that they have noted, many teachers use the important technique of asking extending questions. For example, when a student reports that one similarity between Matt and Attean is that they both had no parents with them at the time, the teacher might ask: "When a child is without his parents, what might that mean for the child?" The student might answer, "Hell have to do a lot of things on his own and especially for himself." Prompting such thoughtful responses is especially important. It activates relevant background knowledge and thereby deepens the students' understanding of the significance of the similarities and differences that they note. It also requires students to think and communicate with accuracy and precision, a necessary habit of mind to carry over to the actual writing process.