Understanding Key Ideas in Informational Texts
Understanding Key Ideas in Informational Texts Objective: The student will be able to ask and answer questions about key details in an informational text to demonstrate understanding.
Learning Objectives
- Identify and explain key details in an informational text.
- Ask questions about the text to improve comprehension.
- Answer questions about the main ideas and details in the text.
Materials Needed
- A short informational book or passage suitable for a 1st grader (e.g., about animals, weather, or plants)
- Paper and pencil
- Question cards with simple who, what, where, when, why, and how questions
Key Vocabulary
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that gives facts and information about a topic.
- Key Details
- Important pieces of information that help you understand the main idea.
- Question
- A sentence that asks something to learn more.
Detailed Activities
Reading and Questioning
- Read the chosen informational text aloud to the student, showing the pictures and pointing to the words.
- Pause periodically to ask simple questions such as who, what, where, when, why, and how about the text.
- Encourage the student to ask their own questions about the text and help them find answers by looking back at the text.
- Write down some of the student’s questions and answers on paper for review.
Drawing and Retelling
- Ask the student to draw a picture about one key detail or fact from the text.
- Have the student describe their drawing and explain what part of the text it represents.
- Use this to reinforce understanding of key details and practice verbal expression.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand informational texts by asking and answering questions about important details.
- Be patient and encourage your child to think about what they are reading and to express their thoughts in their own words.
- Use the question cards as a guide but feel free to add questions based on your child’s interests.
Assessment Questions
- Who or what is this text about?
- What is one important fact you learned from the text?
- Can you tell me why this information is important?
- Where can we find the answer to a question in the text?
Extension Ideas
- Create your own simple informational book on a topic your child enjoys and practice asking and answering questions about it.
- Visit a library or online resource together to find more informational texts and repeat the questioning activity.
- Use pictures from magazines or books to create question cards and have your child practice forming questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try breaking the questions into smaller parts or rephrasing them in simpler words. Use pictures and reread parts of the text to help your child find answers.
Focus on asking simple, open-ended questions and encouraging your child to think aloud. Use the text and pictures as your guide and make it a fun conversation.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think all texts are stories; emphasize that informational texts teach us facts.
- Students might answer questions from memory instead of using the text; encourage looking back at the text.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with more pictures to support comprehension.
- Ask yes/no or multiple-choice questions before open-ended ones.
- Provide sentence starters to help answer questions.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage forming their own questions beyond the basic who, what, where.
- Have the student summarize the text in their own words.
- Introduce simple nonfiction texts with more challenging vocabulary.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 20 minutes reading and discussing the text.
- Use 15 minutes for questioning and answering activities.
- Reserve 10 minutes for drawing and retelling to reinforce comprehension.
Standards
- 1.RI.10 — With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1 and demonstrate understanding by asking and answering questions about key details.
Printable Worksheet
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