Mystery Message Finder

This worksheet supports students in Grades 4 and 5 as they strengthen reading comprehension by identifying the main idea in short, engaging mystery-style passages. Learners read each mini-story, choose the best main idea from three options, and then mark the exact sentence that helped them decide-reinforcing the critical link between central ideas and textual evidence.

Learning Goals

• Identifying Main Ideas (Grades 4-5) – Students determine the most important idea in a short narrative passage.
• Separating Key Ideas from Details – Learners distinguish central meaning from humorous or interesting but less important information.
• Using Textual Evidence – Students cite the specific sentence that supports their main idea choice.
• Analytical Reading Skills – Encourages careful interpretation of short texts with subtle clues.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary reading comprehension standards.
• High-Interest Mystery Scenarios – Relatable situations (missing socks, strange noises, vanishing food) keep engagement high.
• Evidence-Focused Format – Requires students to prove their thinking directly from the text.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Ideal for guided reading, small groups, literacy centers, independent practice, or assessment.

This mystery message finder worksheet helps students build confidence in identifying main ideas by pairing selection with evidence marking. By practicing how to locate and justify the central message of a passage, learners strengthen comprehension, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning-skills essential for success across all reading tasks.

This worksheet is part of our Main Idea and Supporting Details Worksheets collection.