Central Idea
What the story is mostly about
The reason the author writes a story.
What is the author's purpose?
Using clues from the text and your background knowledge to guess what the author does not say
What is inferring?
What belongs at the beginning and end of a complete sentence?
A capital letter and correct punctuation
The way the author organizes the text
Text structure
In the story of the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise wins the race because he is slow and steady, while the hare is fast but too boastful and careless. What is the central idea?
Steady effort is more important than being fast and careless.
An essay argues that schools should have longer recess times.
What is to persuade?
Mia’s teacher smiles and says, “Great job on your project!” while handing Mia a gold star sticker. What can you infer about Mia’s project?
Mia did an excellent job on her project.
What is the correct way to combine these sentences? The cat sat on the windowsill. The sun was shining brightly.
The cat sat on the windowsill while the sun was shining brightly.
Joe cheated and his spelling test. His mom was upset and said he could not go to his friend's birthday party.
Cause and effect
Dogs are known for their loyalty and friendship. They often stay by their owner's side and provide comfort during difficult times. What is the central idea?
Dogs are loyal and provide comfort to their owners.
A comic strip features humorous situations and witty dialogue between characters.
A character in a story is wearing a raincoat and holding an umbrella, but it's sunny outside. What might you infer about the character’s day?
The character might be prepared for unexpected rain or could be going somewhere where it might rain.
What is the correct way to combine these sentences? Tom finished his homework. He played video games afterward
Tom finished his homework and then played video games.
It was raining heavily and the baseball game was canceled. As a result, the players went home early.
Eating healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps keep our bodies strong and gives us energy for daily activities. What is the central idea?
Eating healthy foods is important for maintaining strength and energy.
A historical book gives detailed accounts of important events and people from the past.
What is to inform?
A person finds an empty food bowl and a note that says "Thanks for dinner!" What can we infer?
Someone ate the food and left a thank you note.
What type of sentence is this?
The dog with the brown fur.
Sentence Fragment
I lost my house key, so my mom had to get a new key.
Problem and solution
What is the central idea of Captain Arsenio?
A biography provides detailed information about a person’s life, including their achievements, struggles, and contributions.
After a thunderstorm, a character finds a large puddle and sees a rainbow in the sky. What can you infer about the weather?
The storm has passed, and the weather is clearing up.
What is the correct way to combine these sentences?
The cat climbed up the tree. It got stuck at the top.
The cat climbed up the tree and got stuck at the top.
First, we ate breakfast. Next, we went to school. After school, we played soccer with friends.
Chronological order/sequential order