Main Idea
What is the main idea of a story?
It tells what the story is mostly about.
What does “gloomy” mean in the sentence: “The sky looked gloomy before the rain”?
Dark or sad.
What are the questions you should ask yourself when it comes to close reading?
“who/what/when/where/why”
What does "author’s purpose" mean?
Why the author wrote the text.
What is an inference?
A smart guess using clues and what you know.
What clue can help you find the main idea?
The title or the first sentence.
If a word is tricky, what should you do?
Use the words around it to help.
What is text evidence?
Proof from the story.
What does it mean if the author wrote to entertain?
The story is fun or silly.
“Maya wore her coat and boots. She grabbed an umbrella.” What can you infer?
It’s raining.
This paragraph talks about how birds build nests. What is the main idea?
Birds build nests.
What does “petrified” mean? “The petrified cat hid under the bed.”
scared or terrified
Why do we use text evidence?
To show our answer is correct.
What does it mean if the author wrote to inform?
The story gives facts or teaches something.
If Tim is yawning and rubbing his eyes, what can you infer?
He is tired.
The main idea tells us what the story is mostly about. Is the main idea a small detail or the big idea?
The big idea.
“The puppy darted across the yard.” What does “darted” mean?
Ran quickly
If the question is “Why was the dog happy?” what should you look for?
A sentence that shows the dog’s feelings.
What does it mean if the author wants to persuade?
They want you to believe or do something.
Why do we make inferences?
To understand things that aren’t directly said.
Why is the main idea important?
It helps you understand what you read.
What is it called when you circle unknown words, underline the main idea, and put a star next to key details?
Annotating
Read this sentence: “Lena’s hands were shaking as she opened her report card.” What can you tell about how Lena feels?
Lena feels nervous.
How can you tell what the author’s purpose is?
Look at the topic and how the author writes.
True or False: Inferences use both clues and your brain.
True