Step 1: Look at the Title and Pictures

The title of a text often tells us what the text is about. Pictures also give us clues.

Step 2: Read the First Paragraph

The first part of a text usually introduces the main idea. Read it carefully and think about what is happening.

Step 3: Make a Prediction

Based on what you have read, try to guess what will happen next. This is called prediction.

Step 4: Confirm Your Prediction

Continue reading to see if your prediction was correct. If not, adjust your understanding.

Step 5: Identify the Main Idea

Ask yourself: "What is this text mostly about?" The answer is the main idea. The other details that support the main idea are called supporting ideas.

Read this short story:

Last week, I visited my aunt in a nearby district. On the way, our bus stopped suddenly. We saw four people getting off the bus. A schoolboy was lying on the road. He was hurt badly. A car had hit him while crossing the road. Next to him was a school bag. A man opened it and found an exercise book. On the cover, the name 'Baraka Musa' was written. Inside the book, there was a phone number. The man called Baraka's father.

Baraka's father came quickly in a taxi. They took Baraka to hospital. Later, we heard that Baraka got better and he was discharged.

Finding the General Meaning

Question: What is the main idea of this story?

The main idea is: A schoolboy was hit by a car and rushed to hospital.

This sentence tells us what the whole story is about. The other details support this main idea.

Finding Supporting Ideas

Supporting ideas are smaller details that help explain the main idea. For example:

• The boy's name was Baraka Musa.
• A man found a phone number in the exercise book.
• Baraka's father came in a taxi.

These details tell us more about the main event, but they are not the main point of the story.

Making a Prediction

If we read only the first part of the story, we can make a prediction:

First part: "A schoolboy was lying on the road. He was hurt badly. A car had hit him while crossing the road."

Prediction: We can predict that someone will help the boy and take him to a hospital. This prediction helps us understand the story better as we read on.

Look at this story:

Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a wise old grandmother, called Mama Siti. She loved to plant pumpkins in her garden. One year, she had grown the biggest pumpkin she had ever seen...

Try to deduce the general meaning:

1. What is this story about? (Think about the title and what you have read so far.)
2. What do you think will happen next? (Make a prediction based on what you know.)
3. What is the main message of the story? (Think about what the writer wants us to learn.)

• The general meaning is what the whole text is mainly about.
• A main idea tells us the most important message.
• Supporting ideas are details that explain the main idea.
• Prediction means guessing what will happen next based on what you have read.
• To deduce meaning, look at titles, pictures, and read carefully to understand the text.

In everyday life in Tanzania, you use the skill of deducing general meaning when you read a notice at your school, listen to a news announcement on the radio, or read a short message from a friend. For example, if you receive a text message from your mwendesha (motorcycle taxi rider) saying he will come at 3pm, you can deduce that the delivery of your goods will happen in the afternoon, and you can plan to be available at that time.