Reading short original stories and non-fiction passages, then finding the main idea, details and order of events, making inferences and working out word meanings from context.
Alabama Course of Study content standard: 3.19; 3.22 · understanding stories and finding the main idea of true texts
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
Read the whole passage once, then go back to find answers.
The main idea is what most of the passage is about, not one small detail.
For a new word, read the words around it. They often explain it.
Example: A passage tells how Amir feeds the class pet, cleans its cage and gives it water. What is the main idea? Each sentence tells one way Amir looks after the pet. Together they tell one big idea. Answer: Amir takes good care of the class pet.
Read and Think in Alabama
In the Alabama Course of Study, this is unit 1 of 13 in 3rd grade English Language Arts, before Story Elements.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
What did Zoe and Grandpa do after lunch?
The Indoor Picnic
Zoe and her grandpa had planned a picnic at the park for Saturday. But when Zoe woke up, rain was drumming on her window.
“Our picnic is ruined,” Zoe sighed, pressing her nose against the cold glass.
Grandpa smiled. “Who says a picnic has to be outside?” He spread a blanket on the living room floor. Zoe packed sandwiches, grapes and lemonade into the basket, just as they had planned.
They ate on the blanket and listened to the rain. After lunch, they built a blanket fort and read stories inside it. “This was even better than the park,” Zoe said with a grin.
Baked cookies
Built a blanket fort and read stories
Walked to the park
Built a blanket fort and read stories
Hint: Find the words “After lunch” in the last paragraph.
Question 2
Where did Zoe and Grandpa have their picnic?
The Indoor Picnic
Zoe and her grandpa had planned a picnic at the park for Saturday. But when Zoe woke up, rain was drumming on her window.
“Our picnic is ruined,” Zoe sighed, pressing her nose against the cold glass.
Grandpa smiled. “Who says a picnic has to be outside?” He spread a blanket on the living room floor. Zoe packed sandwiches, grapes and lemonade into the basket, just as they had planned.
They ate on the blanket and listened to the rain. After lunch, they built a blanket fort and read stories inside it. “This was even better than the park,” Zoe said with a grin.
On the front steps
On the living room floor
At the park
On the living room floor
Hint: Read the third paragraph. Where did Grandpa spread the blanket?
Question 3
The rain was “drumming” on the window. What does that tell you?
The Indoor Picnic
Zoe and her grandpa had planned a picnic at the park for Saturday. But when Zoe woke up, rain was drumming on her window.
“Our picnic is ruined,” Zoe sighed, pressing her nose against the cold glass.
Grandpa smiled. “Who says a picnic has to be outside?” He spread a blanket on the living room floor. Zoe packed sandwiches, grapes and lemonade into the basket, just as they had planned.
They ate on the blanket and listened to the rain. After lunch, they built a blanket fort and read stories inside it. “This was even better than the park,” Zoe said with a grin.
The rain was tapping hard and loudly.
The rain had stopped.
Someone was playing a drum.
The rain was tapping hard and loudly.
Hint: Think about the sound a drum makes. How would rain sound if it was drumming?
Question 4
Put these in order, from first to last.
The Indoor Picnic
Zoe and her grandpa had planned a picnic at the park for Saturday. But when Zoe woke up, rain was drumming on her window.
“Our picnic is ruined,” Zoe sighed, pressing her nose against the cold glass.
Grandpa smiled. “Who says a picnic has to be outside?” He spread a blanket on the living room floor. Zoe packed sandwiches, grapes and lemonade into the basket, just as they had planned.
They ate on the blanket and listened to the rain. After lunch, they built a blanket fort and read stories inside it. “This was even better than the park,” Zoe said with a grin.
Zoe and Grandpa built a blanket fort.
Zoe and Grandpa ate their picnic.
Grandpa spread a blanket on the floor.
Zoe saw rain on her window.
Zoe saw rain on her window. → Grandpa spread a blanket on the floor. → Zoe and Grandpa ate their picnic. → Zoe and Grandpa built a blanket fort.
Hint: Look back at the passage. Find each part, then see which one comes first.
Question 5
Which word from the passage means a clear, watery liquid inside a tree?
From Tree to Syrup
Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. Sap is a clear, watery liquid that moves through a tree.
In early spring, the nights are still freezing, but the days are warmer. This is when sap flows best. People drill a small hole in the tree's trunk and put in a spout called a tap. The sap drips out into a bucket or flows through a tube.
Fresh sap is only a little bit sweet. It must be boiled for a long time so that most of the water goes away. It takes about 40 liters of sap to make just 1 liter of maple syrup!
sap
syrup
spout
sap
Hint: The first paragraph tells what this word means.
Question 6
Put these in order, from first to last.
From Tree to Syrup
Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees. Sap is a clear, watery liquid that moves through a tree.
In early spring, the nights are still freezing, but the days are warmer. This is when sap flows best. People drill a small hole in the tree's trunk and put in a spout called a tap. The sap drips out into a bucket or flows through a tube.
Fresh sap is only a little bit sweet. It must be boiled for a long time so that most of the water goes away. It takes about 40 liters of sap to make just 1 liter of maple syrup!
Put in a tap.
Boil the sap for a long time.
Collect the sap.
Drill a small hole in the tree.
Drill a small hole in the tree. → Put in a tap. → Collect the sap. → Boil the sap for a long time.
Hint: Look back at the passage. Find each part, then see which one comes first.