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Reading · Reading comprehension

Story Detective: Details, sequence, main idea, characters and word clues in short passages

Short passages with numbered sentences, for 3rd grade readers. Kids find details, put events in order, pick the main idea, think about characters and use clues to work out a word's meaning. A miss lights up the sentences with the answer.

  • Grades3rd grade
  • Levels5, from “Details” to “Word clues”
  • A roundAbout 10 questions, a few minutes
  • PriceWith any plan, from $7.99 a month
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A round of Story Detective on a phone

How Story Detective works

The 5 levels

  1. Details
  2. What happened first?
  3. Main idea
  4. Characters
  5. Word clues

What it lines up with in school

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. Standards vary by state, so check with your kid’s teacher.

RL.3.1
Answer questions about a text, pointing to the words that show the answer.
RL.3.3
Describe characters and how their actions move the story along.
RI.3.2
Find the main idea of a text and the details that support it.
RI.3.3
Describe how events or steps in a text connect, including their order.
L.3.4.A
Use clues in the sentence to work out what a word means.

Practice it at home

Questions about Story Detective

What grade is Story Detective for?
3rd grade. It’s a reading comprehension game with 5 levels that move up when your kid is ready.
Which standards does Story Detective cover?
It lines up with Common Core reading and writing RL.3.1, RL.3.3, RI.3.2, RI.3.3 and L.3.4.A. Standards vary by state, so check with your kid’s teacher for the exact match.
Does my kid need to read to play Story Detective?
No. Every question is read aloud, so kids who are still learning to read can play on their own.
How long is a round of Story Detective?
About 10 questions, a few minutes. Nine right on the first try and the next round is a level harder; a tough round steps back one.
Is Story Detective free?
It comes with every plan, from $7.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial. Number Garden and Gator Compare are free.

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