Explicit meaning is something you figure out from clues, not from the exact words.

A story says, 'Ben packed his swimsuit and a towel in his beach bag.' What does the story explicitly tell you?

• Ben was going swimming
• It was a hot, sunny day
• Ben packed his swimsuit and a towel

A story says, 'Sam zipped up his red jacket.' Lee tells his friend, 'The story says Sam zipped up his jacket.' Did the story really say that?

Using the same sentence about Ben's shoes, which idea is an inference, not something the story said?

• Ben's shoes were soaked and muddy
• Ben probably stepped in mud or a puddle
• Ben has shoes

A text says, 'Jae put on his helmet and pumped air into his bike tires.' Which idea is the best inference?

• Jae is the fastest rider in his school
• Jae never likes walking anywhere
• Jae is getting ready to ride

A text says, 'Dad smiled at the messy kitchen and started washing the dishes.' Which sentence is explicitly stated?

• Dad wanted to help the family
• The family had just eaten dinner
• Dad started washing the dishes

You read a story and think, 'The character must be scared.' Before you decide that is a fact, what should you check?

• Whether the story has pictures
• How long the story is
• Whether the exact word 'scared' or a clue for it is really in the text

Priya thinks the dog in the story was excited. Which sentence from the story is the best clue for her idea?

• It spun in circles and barked at the door
• The dog was big and brown with floppy ears
• The dog slept on a mat in the kitchen

A story says, 'The garden gate swung open, and muddy paw prints crossed the clean kitchen floor.' Ben says, 'The author told us a dog came inside.' Is 'a dog came inside' explicit or an inference?

• Explicit, because paw prints always mean a dog
• Explicit, because the sentence mentions the kitchen floor
• An inference, as those exact words never appear

The class reads, 'Nina tied her apron and pulled a big bowl from the shelf.' Later, three readers talk about it. Which reader mixed up a guess with the text's exact words?

• "I think Nina might be baking, because of the apron and the bowl."
• "The book says Nina was about to bake a cake."
• "The book says Nina tied her apron."