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1st grade · English Language Arts · Unit 11 of 13

Think It Through

Main idea, details and clues

What your child practices

Reading a short story, finding the main idea and details, and using clues to work out what is not said.

Alaska content standards learning standard: RI.1.1; RI.1.2 · finding the main topic and using details in a text

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Details are small facts in the story.
  2. Look back at the words to find them.
  3. Use clues to guess what will happen next.

Example: Priya gets the dog’s leash. What will she likely do next? A leash is for taking a dog on a walk. She will take the dog outside. Answer: take the dog outside

Think It Through in Alaska

In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 11 of 13 in 1st grade English Language Arts, after Kinds of Sentences and before Messages All Around.

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.

Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What is the main idea?

    Kenji drew a big red heart.

    He wrote “For Grandma” on the front.

    Then he put it in an envelope.

    • Kenji goes to sleep.
    • Kenji makes a card for Grandma.
    • Kenji paints a fence.

  2. Question 2

    Who is the card for?

    Kenji drew a big red heart.

    He wrote “For Grandma” on the front.

    Then he put it in an envelope.

    • a teacher
    • Kenji
    • Grandma

  3. Question 3

    What did Kenji do last?

    Kenji drew a big red heart.

    He wrote “For Grandma” on the front.

    Then he put it in an envelope.

    • He drew a heart.
    • He wrote a name.
    • He put it in an envelope.

  4. Question 4

    What was most likely happening?

    The sky turned dark and gray.

    Zoe heard a loud boom.

    She hid under her blanket and waited.

    • a thunderstorm
    • a parade
    • a sunny day

  5. Question 5

    How did Zoe feel?

    The sky turned dark and gray.

    Zoe heard a loud boom.

    She hid under her blanket and waited.

    • silly
    • a little scared
    • very sleepy

  6. Question 6

    Where did Zoe hide?

    The sky turned dark and gray.

    Zoe heard a loud boom.

    She hid under her blanket and waited.

    • under her blanket
    • in the car
    • behind a tree

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