WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Identify the main idea in a text.
• Find supporting details that explain the main idea.
• Use clues from the text and our own thinking to make inferences (read between the lines).

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Success Criteria

• I can say what the main idea of a paragraph is.
• I can find supporting details that help explain the main idea.
• I can use clues in the text to make a good inference.
• I can explain my answers clearly.

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Curriculum for Excellence Links (Level 2, Literacy Across Learning)

• Listening and Talking: Understanding and discussing the main ideas and details in texts.
• Reading: Using evidence from texts to infer meaning beyond literal understanding.
• Literacy: Develop comprehension strategies to understand, interpret and analyse texts.

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Key Terms & Definitions

Term	Definition	Icon & Illustration Idea
Main Idea	The BIG point of a paragraph. It answers: “What is this mostly about?”	A girl at a bus stop with a big thought bubble showing the main idea.
Supporting Details	Extra information that helps explain or prove the main idea.	Smaller thought bubbles containing detail clues around the big one.
Inference	Using clues from the text + your own thinking to figure out something not directly said. Like a detective!	Detective magnifying glass searching for clues, thought bubbles showing 'reading between the lines'.

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Worked Examples

1.

Text:
“Aiden hid the small box behind his back. He smiled as his mum walked into the room. Today was her birthday, and he had saved his pocket money for weeks.”

Main Idea: Aiden is surprising his mum for her birthday.
Inference Clue: He hid the box → probably a present.

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2.

Text:
“Jada checked the window again. The sky was turning grey, and the wind pushed the trees back and forth. She ran to close the door.”

Inference: A storm is coming.
Clues: Grey sky, wind shaking trees, closing door.

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3.

Text:
“Leo tapped his pencil on the desk. Everyone else had already started writing, but he stared at the blank page.”

Inference: Leo doesn’t know what to write / is stuck.
Clues: Blank page, tapping pencil, others writing.

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Question Pages (for Mayah)

Read the paragraph:
“Lila stood at the bus stop, gripping her backpack tightly. She kept checking her watch, even though the bus was never late. Today she had something important to do at school—something she hadn’t told anyone about. When the bus finally arrived, she took a deep breath and stepped on.”

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Questions

1. What is the main idea of this paragraph?

2. How is Lila feeling?

3. Find one sentence that shows she is nervous.

4. Why might she be checking her watch?

5. What does “something important to do at school” suggest?

6. What can you infer about Lila’s personality?

7. Do you think she is excited, scared, or both? Explain your answer.

8. What time of day do you imagine this scene is? Why?

9. Why do you think she didn’t tell anyone about her important task?

10. Rewrite the paragraph in your own words (3–4 sentences).

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Layout Notes for Worksheets (Pages 2–3):

• Include small icons: clock for question 4, a backpack for question 1, a thought bubble for question 6, etc.
• Leave ample lined space for each answer.
• Use dyslexia-friendly font (e.g., OpenDyslexic or Comic Sans) and line spacing of 1.5.
• Use soft pastel background boxes behind questions to reduce contrast strain.

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Parent Answer Sheet

1. Lila is nervous about something important at school.

2. She is nervous or anxious.

3. “Gripping her backpack tightly,” “checking her watch,” and “took a deep breath” show her nervousness.

4. She is checking her watch because she doesn’t want to be late.

5. It suggests she has a presentation, test, or something big to do at school.

6. She is responsible, careful, and a little worried about being late.

7. Both excited and scared is reasonable because she is preparing for something important.

8. It is likely morning as children typically wait for the school bus then.

9. She might want to keep it private because she feels nervous, unsure, or prefers to handle it by herself.

10. Any sensible summary showing understanding, e.g.: Lila waited at the bus stop, feeling nervous about something important at school. She kept checking her watch even though the bus was on time. When the bus came, she took a deep breath and got on.

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Differentiation Strategies

Learner Type	Strategy
Struggling Readers	Use audio recordings of texts; highlight key sentences; visual aids to support meaning.
Dyslexic Learners	Dyslexia-friendly font; extra time; coloured overlays; clear layout with no clutter.
EAL Students	Pre-teach key vocabulary; use picture clues; pair with simpler synonyms in a glossary.
Advanced Learners	Extend by writing own text and creating inference questions for a peer.

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Extension Activity (for Mayah or other advanced learners)

• Write your own short paragraph about a character in a tricky situation.
• Underline the main idea and circle supporting details.
• Create two inference questions about your paragraph.
• Swap with someone else and answer their questions.

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Notes for Teaching Approach

• Use an activity-led style: discuss each worked example together, then do the question worksheet collaboratively before independent work.
• Encourage “detective thinking” by asking, “What clues can you see?” and “What might the author want us to understand without saying directly?”
• Engage visually: use printed illustrations plus drawing activities (students can draw what they think the thought bubbles show).
• Encourage journal reflections: “How do you feel when you have to make inferences?” helps connect comprehension with emotional literacy.

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This lesson plan closely follows the Curriculum for Excellence’s focus on literacy comprehension, inference, and communication skills at Level 2, enabling holistic development of confident, successful learners.