Reading Detectives
What is the main idea of a text?
What the text is mostly about / the most important point
After running the race, Maya was exhausted and immediately sat down to rest. What does exhausted mean?
Very tired
Identify the noun: The rabbit hopped across the yard.
Rabbit (yard also counts as a noun)
Who is the main character of a story?
The character the story is mostly about
What should every paragraph usually focus on?
One main idea/topic
Mia brought an umbrella and wore rain boots. Dark clouds covered the sky.
What can you infer based on these sentences?
It is raining or probably going to rain.
Give two synonyms for happy
Glad, joyful, cheerful, etc.
Identify the adjective: The enormous dog chased the ball.
enormous
What is the setting of a story?
Where and when the story takes place
What is a topic sentence?
A sentence that introduces the main idea of a paragraph
True or False: A supporting detail gives information that helps explain the main idea.
True
Give two antonyms for ancient
Modern/new/recent
Fix the sentence: my friend jake lives in new jersey.
My friend Jake lives in New Jersey.
What is the theme of a story?
The message or lesson the author communicates
Which transition word shows contrast: also, however, because, or first?
however
The puppy scratched at the door, ran to his leash, and barked.
What can you infer the puppy wants? Give one piece of evidence.
He wants to go outside/on a walk; e.g., he ran to his leash.
What does the prefix re- mean in the word rewrite?
Again
Choose the correct word: The students put (their / there / they’re) books away.
their
A character fails at something three times but keeps practicing until she succeeds. What might be a theme?
Don't give up / perseverance pays off / keep trying
What's wrong with this sentence? Because I was hungry.
It's a fragment/incomplete sentence.
What is the difference between summarizing a story and retelling it?
A summary gives only the most important events/ideas; a retelling includes many more details.
Unlike his outgoing brother, Marcus was timid and rarely spoke to new people. What does timid mean, and what context clue helps you figure it out?
Shy/nervous; “rarely spoke to new people” and/or the contrast with “outgoing.”
Identify the subject and predicate: The excited students raced onto the playground.
Subject: The excited students
Predicate: raced onto the playground
How are first-person and third-person points of view different?
First person uses a character/narrator telling the story with I/we; third person uses he/she/they and a narrator outside the story.
Improve this sentence by adding specific details: The dog went outside.
Answers vary, e.g., “The muddy golden retriever raced through the open door and bounded into the backyard.”