Detail Treasure Hunt

This worksheet supports students in Grades 4 and 5 as they strengthen reading comprehension by identifying only the sentences that truly support a given main idea. Learners read short passages with a clearly stated main idea and then hunt for the details that directly connect to it, filtering out distracting or unrelated information through careful, evidence-based reading.

Learning Goals

• Identifying Supporting Details (Grades 4-5) – Students locate sentences that directly support a stated main idea.
• Distinguishing Relevant vs. Irrelevant Information – Learners evaluate which details matter and which do not.
• Summarizing Skills – Reinforces understanding of how key details contribute to overall meaning.
• Critical & Evidence-Based Reading – Students justify why selected sentences support the main idea.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary reading comprehension standards.
• Engaging “Treasure Hunt” Format – Makes close reading active and purposeful.
• Built-In Distraction Practice – Helps students avoid common comprehension pitfalls.
• Relatable Topics – Passages about penguins, biking, thunderstorms, reading, and responsible behavior keep interest high.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Ideal for guided reading, literacy centers, small groups, independent practice, or assessment.

This detail treasure hunt worksheet helps students become more strategic readers by teaching them to focus on the details that truly matter. By scanning for evidence that supports a main idea and ignoring distractions, learners strengthen comprehension, summarizing skills, and confidence in analyzing text structure. Whether used in a classroom or homeschool setting, this printable resource offers meaningful, low-prep practice that builds strong, evidence-based reading habits.

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