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Finding Key Details in Text
This lesson teaches you to find key details in text by asking six important questions: who, what, where, when, why, and how. You will practice spotting the people, places, actions, times, reasons, and ways things happen in short texts, building strong reading comprehension skills.
What Are Key Details?
Key details are the important facts inside a text. They tell you who is in the text, what happens, where it happens, when it happens, why it happens, and how it happens.
You do not need to remember every single word. You just need to find the key details that answer the six big questions.
Asking Who and What
The question "who" helps you find the person or animal the text is about. Look for a name, like Sam, or a word like dog or teacher.
The question "what" helps you find the action or thing that happens. Ask yourself, what did they do? What happened next?
Try this sentence: "Sam fed the ducks at the pond." Who is Sam. What is fed the ducks.
Asking Where and When
The question "where" tells you the place. It could be a park, a school, or a kitchen. Look for words that name a place.
The question "when" tells you the time. It could be morning, Monday, or summer. Look for words that name a time.
In the sentence "Sam fed the ducks at the pond," where is at the pond. If the sentence said "Sam fed the ducks in the morning," when would be in the morning.
Asking Why and How
The question "why" tells you the reason something happens. Look for clue words like because.
The question "how" tells you the way something happens. It tells you the steps or the manner of an action.
Try this sentence: "Sam fed the ducks because they were hungry." Why is because they were hungry. If the text said "Sam fed the ducks by tossing small pieces of bread," how would be by tossing small pieces of bread.
Using All Six Questions Together
Good readers do not stop at just one question. They ask all six questions to build a full picture of the text.
Notice how is not on the table above, but it works the same way as the others. It finds the manner or steps of an action.
Practicing With a Short Text
Read this short text: "On Saturday, Mia planted a seed in her garden because she wanted a flower. She watered it gently every day."
Who is Mia. What is planted a seed. Where is in her garden. When is on Saturday. Why is because she wanted a flower. How is gently, every day.
You just found six key details in only two sentences. This is how you can find key details in any text you read.
Key Terms & Definitions
Key Details: The small, important pieces of information in a text.
Who: The question that finds the person or animal in the text.
What: The question that finds the action or thing that happens.
Where: The question that finds the place in the text.
When: The question that finds the time in the text.
Why: The question that finds the reason something happens.
How: The question that finds the way something happens.