Reading is more than saying the words — it is understanding them. In the Detective Den, Year 3 readers answer two kinds of question about short passages: ones where the answer is written in the text, and ones where they must work it out from clues.
What your child will learn
- Find a fact that is stated in a passage
- Go back to the text to check an answer
- Infer feelings, places and reasons from clues
- Explain which words gave the answer away
Right there, or read between the lines?
Some answers are “right there”: the text says Maya watered the seed every day. Others need detective work. If someone’s hands are shaking and they take a deep breath, the writer never says “nervous” — but the clues do. Working it out from clues is called inference.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. True or false? A good reader looks back at the text to check an answer.
Show answer
Answer: True. The answer to a “right there” question can always be found in the words.
2. Read: “Maya planted a seed in a pot. She watered it every day. After a week, a tiny green shoot appeared.” What did Maya plant?
- A tree
- A pot
- A seed
- A flower
Show answer
Answer: A seed. The first sentence says she planted a seed.
3. Read: “Tom’s kite got stuck in a tall tree. He could not reach it. His big sister fetched a ladder and got it down.” Where was the kite stuck?
- In a river
- On a roof
- In a tall tree
- On a fence
Show answer
Answer: In a tall tree. The first sentence says it got stuck in a tall tree.
Tips for grown-ups
- After a page of any story, ask one “right there” question and one “how do you know?” question.
- When your child answers, ask them to point to the words that helped.
- Pause at an exciting moment and predict what will happen next, using clues so far.