Remember: Helpful details are signal. Extra details are noise. Class words: Remove the noise.

The story

Maya woke up and ate cereal from a blue bowl. The cereal was sweet, and she added strawberries on top. She packed her green backpack and put her math book, her pencil case, and a pink water bottle inside. Her little brother asked if he could borrow her eraser, so she spent two minutes looking for it. Then she walked to the bus stop on Oak Street, the one near the bakery that sells warm bread in the morning. When she arrived, the street was quiet. No other kids were waiting. Maya checked the time on her watch. The school bus had already left at seven forty-five. Maya’s mom had told her the night before that the bus time changed this week, but Maya forgot and came at the old time.

What is not important

These details are noise. You can delete them and still understand the story:

• Cereal from a blue bowl with strawberries
• Green backpack, math book, pencil case, pink water bottle
• Brother borrowed an eraser / two minutes looking
• Bus stop on Oak Street near the bakery
• Warm bread smell / quiet street

What is important

These details are signal. Keep them — they tell us what really happened:

• Maya arrived at the bus stop too late
• The bus left at seven forty-five
• The bus time changed this week
• Maya forgot the new time

Remove the noise — what happened?

One sentence only: Maya missed the bus because she forgot the bus time had changed this week.

Talk about it

1. What happened? — say it in one sentence.
2. Noise or signal? — pick one detail from the story and explain your choice.
3. Why remove the noise? — so the listener hears the main point fast.