Main Idea
This tells what the text is mostly about.
What is the main idea?
You use these to figure out unknown words in a text.
What are context clues?
This structure shows how two things are alike and different.
What is compare and contrast?
This means using clues + what you know to figure something out.
What is making an inference?
This word means to explain your thinking with evidence.
What is justify?
This supports the main idea with facts or details.
What are supporting details?
If a sentence says “The desert was arid, or very dry,” this type of clue is used.
What is a definition clue?
This structure shows events in time order.
What is chronological order?
If a character is shivering and wearing a coat, you can infer this.
What is it is cold?
This word means to say something clearly and strongly.
What is declare?
If a paragraph is mostly about how plants grow using sunlight, this is the main idea.
What is how plants grow using sunlight?
If the text gives examples to explain a word, this is the clue type.
What are example clues?
This structure explains why something happened and what happened next.
What is cause and effect?
If a character slams the door and crosses their arms, you can infer this feeling.
What is anger?
This word means to find differences between two things.
What is contrast?
If details are about pollution harming animals, this is likely the main idea.
What is pollution harms animals?
If a word is explained by showing what it is NOT, this clue type is used.
What is contrast clue?
If a text lists facts about a topic, this is the structure.
What is description?
This type of thinking is not directly stated but figured out.
What is implied meaning?
This word means to tell the main points briefly.
What is summarize?
This strategy helps you find the main idea: look at repeated ideas and details.
What is identifying repeated ideas?
n “She was exhausted after running,” exhausted most likely means this.
What is very tired?
If a text explains a problem and how it was solved, this is the structure.
What is problem and solution?
To make a strong inference, you must use this AND your background knowledge.
What is text evidence?
This word means to understand something complicated.
What is analyze?