Finding Clues in Text
📖 Learn
When we read, we can find clues in the words that help us understand the story better. These clues help us answer questions about what we read!
What Are Text Clues?
Text clues are words or sentences in a story that help you understand:
- What happened in the story
- Who the characters are
- Where the story takes place
- Why something happened
- How characters feel
Key Words to Know
- Clue: A piece of information that helps you figure something out
- Text: The words in a story or passage
- Evidence: Proof from the text that supports your answer
How to Find Clues
Follow these steps to find clues in text:
- Read carefully - Look at every word
- Ask questions - What does this tell me?
- Look for key words - Words that give important information
- Go back and re-read - Check the text again
Be a Reading Detective!
Think of yourself as a detective looking for clues. The words in the story are your clues. Use them to solve the mystery of what the story is telling you!
💡 Examples
Read each short text and see how we find clues.
Example 1: Finding Clues About Feelings
"Sam smiled and jumped up and down. He hugged his new puppy."
Question: How does Sam feel?
Clues we find:
- "smiled" - People smile when they are happy
- "jumped up and down" - This shows excitement
- "hugged" - This shows love
Answer: Sam feels happy and excited.
Example 2: Finding Clues About Place
"The waves crashed on the sand. A seagull flew overhead."
Question: Where does this happen?
Clues we find:
- "waves" - Waves are in the ocean
- "sand" - Sand is at the beach
- "seagull" - Seagulls live near the ocean
Answer: This happens at the beach.
Example 3: Finding Clues About Time
"The stars twinkled in the dark sky. An owl hooted."
Question: What time of day is it?
Clues we find:
- "stars" - We see stars at night
- "dark sky" - The sky is dark at night
- "owl hooted" - Owls are awake at night
Answer: It is nighttime.
Example 4: Finding Clues About Weather
"Lily put on her boots and raincoat. She grabbed her umbrella."
Question: What is the weather like?
Clues we find:
- "boots" - We wear boots in rain or snow
- "raincoat" - We wear raincoats in rain
- "umbrella" - We use umbrellas when it rains
Answer: It is rainy outside.
Example 5: Finding Clues About What Happened
"The glass fell off the table. Water was all over the floor."
Question: What happened to the glass?
Clues we find:
- "fell off the table" - The glass dropped
- "water was all over the floor" - The water spilled out
Answer: The glass fell and the water spilled on the floor.
✏️ Practice
Read each text and find the clues to answer the question.
Problem 1
"Ben's tummy was growling. He looked at the clock. It was almost noon."
Why was Ben's tummy growling? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: Ben was hungry.
Clues: "tummy was growling" (our tummies growl when hungry) and "almost noon" (lunchtime).
Problem 2
"Maya yawned and rubbed her eyes. She put on her pajamas."
How does Maya feel? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: Maya feels tired and sleepy.
Clues: "yawned" (we yawn when tired), "rubbed her eyes" (we do this when sleepy), "put on her pajamas" (we wear pajamas to sleep).
Problem 3
"The children sat at desks. A teacher stood at the board."
Where are the children? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: The children are at school, in a classroom.
Clues: "sat at desks" (desks are in classrooms), "a teacher" (teachers work at school), "board" (classrooms have boards).
Problem 4
"Snow fell from the sky. Tom made a snowman."
What season is it? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: It is winter.
Clues: "snow fell" (it snows in winter), "made a snowman" (we make snowmen when there is snow).
Problem 5
"Dad looked at the flat tire. He got out the tools."
What is Dad going to do? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: Dad is going to fix the flat tire.
Clues: "flat tire" (the tire has a problem), "got out the tools" (we use tools to fix things).
Problem 6
"Jill had tears on her face. Her knee was scraped."
Why is Jill crying? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: Jill is crying because she hurt her knee.
Clues: "tears on her face" (she is crying), "knee was scraped" (she got hurt).
Problem 7
"Balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling. There was a big cake on the table."
What is happening? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: There is a birthday party.
Clues: "balloons and streamers" (party decorations), "big cake" (cakes are for celebrations like birthdays).
Problem 8
"The dog wagged its tail. It licked the boy's face."
How does the dog feel about the boy? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: The dog is happy to see the boy and likes him.
Clues: "wagged its tail" (dogs wag tails when happy), "licked the boy's face" (dogs lick to show love).
Problem 9
"The boy put the book on the shelf. He turned off the lamp."
What was the boy doing before? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: The boy was reading.
Clues: "put the book on the shelf" (he was done with the book), "turned off the lamp" (he used the lamp for light to read).
Problem 10
"Mom put the groceries in bags. She paid the cashier."
Where is Mom? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Answer: Mom is at the grocery store.
Clues: "groceries" (food we buy at the store), "cashier" (person who takes money at a store).
✅ Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to see how well you understand finding clues in text.
Question 1
What are text clues?
Show Answer
Text clues are words or sentences in a story that give us information. They help us understand what happened, who the characters are, where the story takes place, and how characters feel.
Question 2
How can you find clues in a text?
Show Answer
To find clues: 1) Read carefully, 2) Ask questions about what the text tells you, 3) Look for key words that give important information, 4) Go back and re-read to check.
Question 3
Read: "The leaves were red and orange. Squirrels gathered acorns." What season is it? What clues tell you?
Show Answer
Season: Fall (autumn).
Clues: "leaves were red and orange" (leaves change colors in fall), "squirrels gathered acorns" (squirrels collect food in fall for winter).
Question 4
Why is it important to use clues from the text when answering questions?
Show Answer
Using clues from the text helps us give correct answers. The clues are proof that our answer is right. When we use clues, we are not just guessing - we are finding real information from what we read.
🚀 Next Steps
- Practice with books: When you read, stop and ask yourself questions. Then find clues to answer them!
- Be a word detective: Look for words that tell you about feelings, places, and time.
- Talk about clues: When someone reads to you, talk about the clues you found together.
- Keep learning: Move on to the Prove Your Answer lesson to learn how to show your clues as evidence!