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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.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: Reading 4; Reading 5 · 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 Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, 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: Maine Department of Education

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 did the note ask Jay to do?

    Jay found a small box in the garden.

    Inside was a note that said, “Come and play!”

    Jay smiled and ran to the gate.

    • come and play
    • clean up
    • go to bed

  2. Question 2

    Where did Jay find the box?

    Jay found a small box in the garden.

    Inside was a note that said, “Come and play!”

    Jay smiled and ran to the gate.

    • in the garden
    • in the car
    • at school

  3. Question 3

    How did Jay most likely feel?

    Jay found a small box in the garden.

    Inside was a note that said, “Come and play!”

    Jay smiled and ran to the gate.

    • sleepy
    • angry
    • happy and excited

  4. Question 4

    What is the story mostly about?

    Amir put on his boots and a warm hat.

    He grabbed his shovel and ran outside.

    White flakes fell on his nose.

    • Amir plays outside in the snow.
    • Amir goes swimming.
    • Amir bakes a cake.

  5. Question 5

    What time of year is it most likely?

    Amir put on his boots and a warm hat.

    He grabbed his shovel and ran outside.

    White flakes fell on his nose.

    • spring
    • winter
    • summer

  6. Question 6

    What fell on Amir's nose?

    Amir put on his boots and a warm hat.

    He grabbed his shovel and ran outside.

    White flakes fell on his nose.

    • rain
    • snowflakes
    • leaves

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