1. The children had crumbs around their mouths, which is a direct physical clue that they had been eating something messy, like cookies.
2. Ben claimed he was too busy reading a book, but if he were truly engrossed in reading, it’s unlikely he would have gotten crumbs on his face without noticing or wiping them away.
3. Emily claimed she was playing with her dolls, which is typically a clean activity and doesn’t usually result in crumbs around the mouth.
4. Sam insisted he was drawing a picture, another activity that doesn’t typically involve getting crumbs on one’s face.
5. All three children shrugged their shoulders when questioned, indicating guilt or an attempt to avoid responsibility, rather than providing convincing alibis.
6. Since all three had crumbs and gave weak excuses, it’s most likely that all of them ate the cookies together.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of 4th grade reading worksheet pdf.