STAAR Grade 3 Reading Language Arts

Comprehension is the ability to understand what is read. Strong comprehension requires active thinking before, during, and after reading.

The main idea is the most important point the author wants readers to understand. It tells what the text is mostly about.

Ask: "What is this text mostly about?"

Look at the title, headings, and first and last sentences.

Identify what topic appears throughout the text.

Think about what the author wants you to learn or understand.

Often stated in the first sentence or paragraph (topic sentence)

Sometimes stated at the end as a summary

Sometimes implied (not directly stated) and must be inferred

Supporting details are facts, examples, reasons, or descriptions that tell more about the main idea. They answer questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Facts and statistics

Examples

Descriptions

Reasons

Steps in a process

Example

Passage: "Dogs make wonderful pets. They are loyal and love to spend time with their owners. Dogs can be trained to do tricks and follow commands. They also provide protection for homes and families."

Main Idea: Dogs make wonderful pets.

Supporting Details:

Dogs are loyal.

Dogs love spending time with owners.

Dogs can be trained.

Dogs provide protection.

Read the entire passage first.

Ask: "What is this mostly about?"

Identify the topic (the subject being discussed).

Find the point the author makes about the topic.

Locate details that support or explain the main idea.

An inference is a conclusion or educated guess based on evidence from the text combined with prior knowledge. Authors do not always state everything directly. Readers must "read between the lines."

Use this formula: Text Evidence + Prior Knowledge = Inference

Example

"How does the character feel?"

"Why did the character do that?"

"What will probably happen next?"

"What kind of person is this character?"

Look for clues in the text (actions, dialogue, descriptions).

Think about what you already know.

Combine the clues and your knowledge to draw a conclusion.

Check your inference by asking: "Does this make sense based on the text?"

Drawing a conclusion is similar to making an inference but often involves putting together multiple pieces of information to reach a larger understanding.

Gather information from different parts of the text.

Think about how the pieces of information connect.

Combine the information to form a conclusion.

Verify the conclusion makes sense with the text.

Example

Information from text:

The grass in the park was very green.

Puddles were on the sidewalk.

People were carrying wet umbrellas.

Conclusion: It had recently rained.

A summary is a brief retelling of the most important information in a text. It is much shorter than the original and includes only the key points.

The main idea

The most important supporting details

Key events (for stories)

The sequence or order of events

Minor details

Your own opinions

Information not in the text

Word-for-word copying of long sections

Use the "Somebody-Wanted-But-So-Then" framework:

Example

Story: A girl named Lily wanted to win the school art contest. But she didn't have the right supplies. So she collected materials from nature and made a collage. Then she won first place.

Summary: Lily wanted to win an art contest but didn't have supplies, so she used natural materials to create a collage and won first place.

For informational text:

Identify the topic.

Find the main idea.

List 2-3 key supporting details.

Write a brief paragraph combining this information.

Sequence refers to the order in which events happen. Understanding sequence helps readers follow the text and understand cause and effect.

Look for signal words.

Pay attention to dates, times, and time phrases.

Notice the order in which events are described.

Create a mental timeline of events.

Sequence in Fiction Stories follow a sequence: beginning, middle, and end. Events build on each other.

Procedural texts (how-to) use sequence to explain steps.

Historical texts present events in chronological order.

Science texts may explain processes in sequence.

A cause is why something happens. An effect is what happens as a result.

Ask: "Why did this happen?" (cause)

Ask: "What happened because of this?" (effect)

Example

Sometimes one cause leads to multiple effects, or multiple causes lead to one effect.

Comparing means finding similarities. Contrasting means finding differences.

Characters in a story

Settings (places or times)

Events

Two different texts on the same topic

Ideas or themes

Identify what is being compared.

Find similarities (what is the same).

Find differences (what is different).

Use a Venn diagram or T-chart to organize information.

A fact is a statement that can be proven true or false. An opinion is a belief, feeling, or judgment that cannot be proven.

Can be verified or checked

Based on evidence

Not influenced by feelings

Based on personal beliefs or feelings

Cannot be proven true or false

Often include judgment words

Ask: "Can this be proven or checked?"

Look for opinion signal words.

Determine if the statement reflects feelings or verifiable information.

Predicting means using clues from the text and prior knowledge to guess what will happen next.

Pay attention to what has happened so far.

Look for clues about what might happen.

Think about what makes sense based on the story or text.

Revise predictions as you read and get new information.

Are based on evidence from the text

Make sense with the story or topic

Can be confirmed or revised as reading continues