lesson
Updated 6 days ago · 2 views
Imagine being a detective at a crime scene where the suspect left a written note telling you their name, address, and favorite snack.
When you read a story, you do not have to guess what happened because the author often gives you the exact answer in plain sight.
Information written directly on the page is called an explicit detail, which simply means a fact the author stated clearly in words.
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So how do you know what kind of clue you are hunting for?
The 5 Ws and How
Every question starts with a question word that tells your brain the exact type of detail to search for in the text.
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When a question asks where, you ignore the characters' names and scan only for places like a kitchen, forest, or spaceship.
When a question asks why, you scan for words like because, since, or so that to find the reason.
Ready to see how a detective hunts for clues in a real paragraph?
The 3-Step Scan Strategy
Instead of re-reading the entire story from the beginning every time, use the scan strategy to pinpoint answers fast.