Reading short original stories and articles, then finding the main idea and key details, making inferences from clues, working out word meanings and choosing the best summary.
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 4.1.4.2; 4.1.4.1 · the central idea of a text and the details that support it
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
The main idea is what the whole passage is mostly about. Details support it.
To infer, put clues from the text together with what you already know.
A good summary gives the main idea and the key details in a few words.
Example: Kenji draws a cake with candles on a card for his grandmother and wraps a present. What is the occasion most likely? Clues: a cake with candles, a card, a present. Those clues usually go with one kind of party. Answer: his grandmother’s birthday
Reading Detectives in Minnesota
In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 1 of 13 in 4th grade English Language Arts, before Text Features.
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 does Priya's idea show about her?
The Rainy-Day Plan
Priya and Leo had planned a lemonade stand to raise money for the animal shelter. On Saturday morning, dark clouds rolled in and rain began to pour.
Leo groaned. “Nobody will buy lemonade in the rain.” Priya looked out at the wet street, then grinned. “Then let's sell something warm.”
With permission, they set up a table in the lobby of the community center. They sold warm cocoa and oatmeal cookies to people coming in from the storm. By the afternoon, they had raised more money than they had hoped.
She is shy and quiet
She is creative and doesn't give up easily
She doesn't like animals
She is careless
She is creative and doesn't give up easily
Hint: When the plan went wrong, Priya grinned and thought of a new plan. What does that tell you?
Question 2
Why did people want to buy cocoa and cookies?
The Rainy-Day Plan
Priya and Leo had planned a lemonade stand to raise money for the animal shelter. On Saturday morning, dark clouds rolled in and rain began to pour.
Leo groaned. “Nobody will buy lemonade in the rain.” Priya looked out at the wet street, then grinned. “Then let's sell something warm.”
With permission, they set up a table in the lobby of the community center. They sold warm cocoa and oatmeal cookies to people coming in from the storm. By the afternoon, they had raised more money than they had hoped.
They wanted something warm on a cold, rainy day
It was lunchtime at school
The treats were free
Leo said the rain would stop soon
They wanted something warm on a cold, rainy day
Hint: Think about the weather. What would you want after coming in from a storm?
Question 3
“Leo groaned.” What does this tell you about how Leo felt?
The Rainy-Day Plan
Priya and Leo had planned a lemonade stand to raise money for the animal shelter. On Saturday morning, dark clouds rolled in and rain began to pour.
Leo groaned. “Nobody will buy lemonade in the rain.” Priya looked out at the wet street, then grinned. “Then let's sell something warm.”
With permission, they set up a table in the lobby of the community center. They sold warm cocoa and oatmeal cookies to people coming in from the storm. By the afternoon, they had raised more money than they had hoped.
He felt proud
He felt disappointed
He felt excited
He felt sleepy
He felt disappointed
Hint: A groan is a low sound people make when something goes wrong. Read what Leo says next.
Question 4
Why were Priya and Leo selling things?
The Rainy-Day Plan
Priya and Leo had planned a lemonade stand to raise money for the animal shelter. On Saturday morning, dark clouds rolled in and rain began to pour.
Leo groaned. “Nobody will buy lemonade in the rain.” Priya looked out at the wet street, then grinned. “Then let's sell something warm.”
With permission, they set up a table in the lobby of the community center. They sold warm cocoa and oatmeal cookies to people coming in from the storm. By the afternoon, they had raised more money than they had hoped.
to win a contest
to pay for a trip
to raise money for the animal shelter
to buy new bikes
to raise money for the animal shelter
Hint: The very first sentence tells you why.
Question 5
What did Kenji draw on the card?
Kenji's Early Morning
Kenji tiptoed into the kitchen before anyone else was awake. He took a bowl from the cupboard as quietly as he could, then held his breath when the door squeaked.
He washed a handful of strawberries, sliced a banana with a butter knife and arranged the fruit in the shape of a smiling face. Then he folded a sheet of paper in half and drew a cake with candles on the front.
When his grandmother came downstairs, the bowl and the card were waiting at her place at the table. She read the card, laughed, and gave Kenji a long hug.
a bowl of fruit
a cake with candles
a sleeping cat
a smiling face
a cake with candles
Hint: Careful! The smiling face was made of fruit. Look for what he drew on the paper.
Question 6
“Kenji tiptoed into the kitchen.” What does “tiptoed” mean?
Kenji's Early Morning
Kenji tiptoed into the kitchen before anyone else was awake. He took a bowl from the cupboard as quietly as he could, then held his breath when the door squeaked.
He washed a handful of strawberries, sliced a banana with a butter knife and arranged the fruit in the shape of a smiling face. Then he folded a sheet of paper in half and drew a cake with candles on the front.
When his grandmother came downstairs, the bowl and the card were waiting at her place at the table. She read the card, laughed, and gave Kenji a long hug.
jumped up and down
crawled on his knees
walked quietly on his toes
ran very fast
walked quietly on his toes
Hint: Break it apart: tip + toe. Walking on the tips of your toes is a quiet way to move.