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.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 4.6(G); 4.7(D) · key ideas, details and summaries
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 Texas
In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 1 of 14 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 was the problem in the story?
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.
Rain spoiled their plan for a lemonade stand
They ran out of cookies
Leo forgot the lemons
The animal shelter was closed
Rain spoiled their plan for a lemonade stand
Hint: The problem usually shows up early in a story. Look at the first paragraph.
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.
Leo said the rain would stop soon
It was lunchtime at school
They wanted something warm on a cold, rainy day
The treats were free
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 disappointed
He felt sleepy
He felt proud
He felt excited
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 buy new bikes
to raise money for the animal shelter
to raise money for the animal shelter
Hint: The very first sentence tells you why.
Question 5
Why did Kenji try to be so quiet?
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.
His grandmother asked him to be quiet
He was afraid of the dark
He wanted to keep his plan a surprise
He wasn't allowed in the kitchen
He wanted to keep his plan a surprise
Hint: Kenji was making something for someone. Why would you sneak around while making a gift?
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
ran very fast
walked quietly on his toes
walked quietly on his toes
Hint: Break it apart: tip + toe. Walking on the tips of your toes is a quiet way to move.