Main Idea & Details
This is sentence telling what the passage is mostly about.
What is the MAIN IDEA?
We use these clues in the sentence to figure out a word's meaning:
What are CONTEXT CLUES?
Making a smart guess using clues + what you already know is commonly called:
What is INFERRING/INFERENCING?
This structure tells events in time order.
What is CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER?
Theme is the lesson or _____________ of a story.
What is MESSAGE/MORAL of the STORY?
Name the things that support the main idea.
What are KEY DETAILS or SUPPORTING DETAILS?
In: "The desert is arid, or very dry," this is the meaning of the word arid:
What is "VERY DRY"?
The character is shivering and wearing a coat. This can be inferred:
What is IT IS COLD OUTSIDE?
Signal words such as first, then, next, last might point to this type of text structure:
What is SEQUENCE/SEQUENTIAL ORDER?
Theme statement or Topic: Friendship
What is TOPIC?
If a paragraph lists cool facts about the teeth of a shark, this is most likely the main idea of the text.
What is "SHARKS HAVE UNIQUE/SPECIAL TEETH"?
A word in the passage contains the prefix "un" meaning this:
What is "NOT"?
The author writes, "Jamal slammed the door." This could be inferred:
What is JAMAL IS ANGRY?
This structure shows why something happens and what happened next.
What is CAUSE & EFFECT?
A better theme statement for friendship might be this: True friends ____________ each other during tough times.
What is HELP/SUPPORT?
True or False: The main idea is always stated in the text.
What is "FALSE"?
In "She sprinted to the bus," a synonym of the word sprinted would be:
What is "RUN"?
A character hides a note quickly. This could be inferred:
What is "HE/SHE DOES NOT WANT ANYONE TO SEE THE NOTE"?
This structure explains how two things are alike and different.
What is COMPARE & CONTRAST?
A text detailing how a character never gives up even during difficult times might have a topic such as:
What is PERSEVERANCE/GRIT?
If all the details in the text list the process bees undergo to make honey, this is most likely the main idea.
What is "BEES FOLLOW A SERIES OF IMPORTANT STEPS TO MAKE HONEY"?
This word contains the Latin word part "struct" which means "to build." Workers construct a building, yet the meaning of the word "destruction" is this:
What is TO TEAR DOWN/DESTROY SOMETHING THAT WAS BUILT?
Two things to make a strong inference.
What are CLUES + BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE?
Signal words found in texts with a Cause/Effect text structure might include therefore, since, so, and this popular word:
What is "BECAUSE"?
One word or Full sentence: A theme statement is written as this.
What is FULL SENTENCE?