Comprehending the Text : Supporting Details Meaning in the Text for Class 3 English

Supporting details supports the main idea within the story. In this concept students will be introduced to supporting details meaning, with examples. They are also made aware of the common errors that could come up while determining the supporting details in the text.

From this learning concept students will also learn:

Types of supporting details with examples.
Ways to identify supporting details in a story with examples.
Finding the main idea and supporting details.
How to write supporting details?
Difference between main idea and supporting idea.

The learning concepts have been created using illustrations, mind maps, and examples. Class 3 students can check their understanding by trying to solve the two printable PDF worksheets. Besides that, the solutions to these worksheets are also available in PDF format.

What Does Supporting Detail Mean?

In any context, information that is crucial to understand the text is called key details of the text. Key details or supporting details include information that proves the main idea of the text.
Key details have aspects, examples or causes and effects that demonstrate the main idea.
Major and minor details help to develop the main idea.

Types of Details

There are two types of details:

Example:

Sentence with Details
It was hot and humid. She peeked out of her bedroom window as the sunshine touched her face. It was definitely going to be a bright sunny day. That gave her the energy to kick start the day.

How to Identify Details in a Story?

The key details include the information (what, where, who, and why) of the story. The supporting details are explanations, examples, and proofs, which support and show the point of the main idea of the story.
They are details that add minor information to the main idea and help to make it clearer by giving a deep explanation of the story.
Questioning the passage or story for key details is the quickest way to find the key detail.

Remember key details will be information regarding the following: Age, place, actions of the character, time, etc.

Example:

One day when Wendy was two years old, she was playing in a garden, and she plucked some flowers and ran with those flowers to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful, for Mrs. Darington put her hand to her heart and cried, “Oh, why can’t you remain like this forever!” That is when Wendy knew that all children grow up.

Q1. What did Wendy do in the garden?

Ans: Wendy was playing in the garden.

Q2. How old is Wendy?

Ans: Wendy is two years old.

Q3. What did Wendy give her mother?

Ans: Wendy gave her mother some flowers.

Q4. What did Mrs. Darington wish for?

Ans: Mrs. Darington wished for Wendy to remain a child forever.

Common Mistakes

Do not confuse the main idea of a story with its supporting details. Understand that supporting details in a story are more specific than the main idea. It is a kind of evidence to support the main idea. Details can be in the form of :