The first helpful step is to read a bit of information about the author and the setting of the story. Whenever you see this heading while working with the Assistant, you will know that you are "assessing your surroundings."
The next step in understanding a story (or a novel) is to identify the characters, where the action takes place (the setting) and what happened (the plot). Whenever you see this heading while working with the Assistant, you will know that you are still "skimming the surface."
The next step is to review essential vocabulary by providing you with some activities. The goal of these activities is to ascertain that you have the necessary equipment (vocabulary) to continue. Whenever you see this heading while working with the Assistant, you will know that you are still "checking your equipment."
At this stage the goal is to have a deeper understanding of the characters and their motives. From this understanding will emerge the theme of the story. Whenever you see this heading while working with the Assistant, you will know that you are still "diving deeper."