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Find the evidence. Then explain what it supports.

A good reading answer does more than find a familiar word. It shows what the passage says, what the reader can reasonably work out, and where the evidence stops.

This practice is for upper-primary readers who can already read familiar sentences. You need paper and a pencil. There is no form to submit: keep your work and help record on your own paper.

Ben is working on the first task. His sister Mira will appear in the next one. Try the questions before opening the answers. A parent can help with an unfamiliar word, but should record that help rather than quietly supplying the explanation.

First attempt: the poster

Read once for the situation, then read again to answer. Beside each answer, write the words that helped you decide.

Ben spread his unfinished poster on the table beside the open window. He had arranged six paper leaves around the title, but had not glued them down. A gust lifted one leaf onto his sleeve. He put it back and reached for the glue. Before he could remove the cap, two more leaves slid off the table. Ben caught one; the other landed underneath his chair. He collected both, closed the window and returned to his poster. This time, the leaves stayed where he placed them. Outside, Adrian continued watering the plants.

1. What had Ben not yet done to the paper leaves? Is your answer stated in the passage or worked out from clues?
2. Why did Ben probably close the window? Give two details that support your explanation.
3. Someone says, “Ben closed the window because he dislikes fresh air.” Does this passage give enough evidence for that conclusion? Explain.

Before checking, underline any answer you are unsure about. Record the help you used using the guide below. Keep your original answers visible when you make corrections.

Open after your attempt: answers and reasons

1. He had not glued the paper leaves down. This is stated directly: “had not glued them down”. “He had not stuck them to the poster” is also acceptable.

2. He probably wanted to stop the wind moving the loose leaves. Suitable supporting details include the gust lifting a leaf, two leaves sliding off the table, and the leaves staying in place after he closed the window. Any two of these support the explanation. The passage does not directly announce his reason; we infer it from the events.

3. No. Closing the window helps with the moving paper, but it does not tell us Ben’s general opinion of fresh air. “He might like fresh air but need the paper to stay still” is an acceptable explanation. We also cannot conclude that he definitely likes fresh air.

Your wording can differ. What matters is that your explanation fits the passage and your evidence actually supports it.

Keep a small help record

For each task, write the date, the help level and one thing to revisit. These labels describe the conditions of the attempt; they are not grades.

• H0 — On my own: I read, chose evidence and explained without hints or looking at answers.
• H1 — Reading support: someone read a sentence aloud or explained a word without pointing out the relevant clue.
• H2 — A clue: someone pointed to a useful sentence or asked a question that helped me find the reason.
• H3 — A model: I saw an answer, heard the explanation, or completed an answer alongside someone.

If help differed between questions, note it beside each question. Help is useful information. An answer improved after teaching is progress, but it does not change the conditions of the first attempt.

The short teaching step

Stated evidence is information the writer gives us. We may quote it or paraphrase it accurately. An inference is something we work out from that information. It needs a reason, not just a possibility.

Try this sentence frame: “I think _____ because the passage shows _____.” Then ask: “Does that detail explain my answer?” A sentence copied from the passage can still be the wrong evidence.

For example, Adrian watering plants does not explain why Ben closed the window. The movement of the loose paper does. Both details are in the passage, but they do different jobs.

Watch the size of your claim. “He wanted the paper to stay still” explains this moment. “He always hates wind” makes a much bigger claim about Ben. The passage does not support that leap.

The same action can also have different reasons. Someone might close a window because of wind, noise or rain. The next task uses the same action. Find its own clues before choosing a reason.

Fresh attempt: the recording

Use a new part of your paper. Try without returning to the model answer. Record any help again.

Mira sat beside the open window and pressed the record button on her tablet. She read the opening lines of a story. Across the courtyard, a worker started a drill. Mira stopped and played back her recording. Her words were clear at first, but a loud buzzing covered the final sentence. She closed the window and recorded the lines again. On the second playback, she could hear every word. She sent neither recording yet. Instead, she asked Jo to listen to the second one while she checked the story title.

1. What covered the final sentence in Mira’s first recording? Identify a directly stated detail.
2. Why did Mira probably close the window? Explain using two details from this passage.
3. Does Mira closing the window show that she is unfriendly towards her neighbours? Explain what the passage supports and what it does not.

Check the fresh attempt

1. A loud buzzing covered it. Those words are directly stated. The worker starting a drill provides the context for the sound.

2. She probably wanted to reduce the outside noise so her recorded words would be clear. The buzzing covered her final sentence in the first recording, and she could hear every word after closing the window and recording again. The worker starting the drill is another relevant clue when connected to the disrupted recording.

3. No. The evidence supports a practical reason connected to recording. It gives no evidence about how she treats her neighbours. Closing a window does not establish whether she is friendly or unfriendly.

If you used Ben’s reason about moving paper, reread Mira’s passage. A repeated action does not guarantee a repeated explanation.

If an answer went wrong

• You found a detail but answered a different question: circle the question word. “What?” asks for information; “Why?” asks for a reason. Restate what you need to find.
• Your explanation sounds possible but has no support: point to a sentence that makes it likely. If you cannot, reduce the claim or say there is not enough evidence.
• You copied evidence without explaining it: add how the detail connects to your answer. “Buzzing covered the words, so reducing the noise could make the recording clearer.”
• A word blocked understanding: ask about that word, reread the sentence and record H1. If the helper also identifies the answer clue, record H2.

A parent can ask, “Which detail helped you decide?” If that becomes a hint towards a particular answer, record it. The aim is to see what the reader can currently do and what help makes a difference.

Later check: the library table

Return on another day, after a gap rather than immediately after checking the previous answers. Work on paper without the earlier answers open.

Ben and Adrian found a table in the library. Ben opened his borrowed book while Adrian looked for a pencil. A drop landed beside the book. Ben looked up. Water was gathering around a ceiling tile, and another drop fell onto the table. He closed the book, lifted his bag and moved to a table near the desk. Adrian followed with the pencil. Ben then told the librarian about the dripping water. At the new table, he opened the book at the same page and continued reading.

1. What did Ben tell the librarian about? Is this stated or inferred?
2. Why did Ben probably move tables? Give two supporting details.
3. A reader says, “Ben moved because he had lost interest in his book.” Which detail challenges that explanation?

Check the later task

1. He told the librarian about the dripping water. This is directly stated.

2. He probably wanted to move away from the dripping water, keeping himself and his belongings out of its way. A drop landed beside his book and another fell onto the table. His closing the book and lifting his bag before moving also fits this explanation. Any two relevant details are acceptable. The passage does not establish why the ceiling was dripping.

3. He opened the book at the same page and continued reading. That behaviour challenges the idea that loss of interest caused the move.

Decide what to practise next

Look for whether the learner can distinguish stated information from inference, select relevant evidence, explain the connection and reject a claim that goes beyond the passage. Note whether these actions happened independently on a fresh task and again after a gap. One successful task never confirms mastery.

If these actions still need prompts, revisit the specific difficulty with a different short passage. If they recur independently, try a longer passage or a less obvious inference while continuing to check the evidence.

Continue through Learning Practice and Review, explore English tuition at eduKatePunggol, or use Start Here to choose a learning route. For a different language difficulty, use how to choose the next English practice task. Parents can use the eduKatePunggol Parent Guide alongside the work and help record.