First Day — Making Inference — Passage

This reading passage titled "First Day" supports 4th grade students in practicing both explicit detail identification and inference-making as required by CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1. The narrative depicts Aiden entering a classroom with a new lunchbox and finding his assigned desk on what readers can infer is the first day of school. Students must use specific textual evidence including "Welcome to Third Grade" bulletin board, "hallway buzzing with excited voices," and "name tag on a desk" to determine both the occasion and Aiden's grade level. The questions guide students to use these explicit details to form logical conclusions about information that isn't directly stated. This passage effectively teaches students to identify supporting evidence when explaining both explicit content and implied meanings. The universally familiar context of a first day of school creates an accessible scenario that encourages students to connect personally with the text while developing essential reading comprehension strategies.