How to Use Text Evidence to Support Your Reading Comprehension

Understanding Text Evidence

• 💡 Text evidence is a language tool used to support points by taking details from a text and connecting them to an argument.
• 🎯 Using evidence proves you've understood what you read and helps you think about the text more deeply.

Steps for Finding Text Evidence

• 🔑 Step 1: Understand the idea you want to support and ensure you know what you're trying to say or what a question is asking.
• 🔍 Step 2: Find details and examples in the text that directly support your idea. For instance, an icicle supports the idea that it's cold, while a baseball hat might not.
• ✍️ Step 3: Explain how the detail connects to your idea. Simply finding evidence is not enough; you must articulate its relevance.

Example: Katherine Graham's Leadership

• 📌 The text provides an idea: Katherine Graham wasn't always respected by her colleagues.
• 📊 Evidence supporting this includes that she had trouble gaining the trust of men at the office and that men would ignore her ideas in meetings.
• ✅ These details demonstrate a lack of respect, as trust and being heard are fundamental to respect.
• 🚀 The process emphasizes that using specific details is crucial for proving a point, rather than relying on vague notions.