Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts
Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts Objective: Students will be able to ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key details in an informational text.
- Formulate questions about the text content.
- Use the text to find answers to questions.
- Demonstrate understanding by referring back to the text.
Materials Needed
- Age-appropriate informational text or short article
- Notebook or paper
- Pencil
- Highlighter or colored pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that gives facts and information about a topic.
- Question
- A sentence that asks for information.
- Answer
- A response to a question that provides information.
Detailed Activities
Reading and Questioning the Text
- Select a short informational text appropriate for a 3rd grader.
- Read the text aloud together or have the student read independently.
- Pause to discuss unfamiliar words and clarify meanings.
- Encourage the student to ask questions about what they read.
- Model how to find answers by looking back into the text.
Answering Questions with Evidence
- Write down 3–5 questions based on the text.
- Guide the student to answer each question using information from the text.
- Highlight or underline the part of the text where the answer is found.
- Discuss why the answer is correct and how the text supports it.
Creating Their Own Questions
- Ask the student to create 2 of their own questions about the text.
- Help them find answers by referring back to the text.
- Write down the questions and answers in their notebook.
- Review the questions and answers together, emphasizing text evidence.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to take their time reading and to ask questions about anything they don’t understand.
- You can assist by reading together and pointing to the text when finding answers.
- Praise efforts to think critically about the text and use evidence for answers.
Assessment Questions
- What is the main idea of the text?
- Can you find a sentence in the text that answers the question: What is ___?
- Why is it important to look back at the text when answering questions?
- Create a question about the text and answer it using information from the reading.
Extension Ideas
- Have your child write a short summary of the text using key details.
- Explore other informational texts on similar topics and compare the information.
- Draw a picture that represents an important fact or idea from the text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Encourage them to take it slowly and re-read the passage. Help by pointing to specific sentences and discussing what they mean. Practice with shorter texts first before moving to longer ones.
Focus on helping your child find words or sentences that answer their questions. You don’t need to be an expert; guiding them to use the text as evidence is the main goal.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may answer questions based on prior knowledge instead of the text.
- Some children might find it hard to locate specific information in the text.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with simpler vocabulary.
- Read the text aloud and discuss each paragraph before answering questions.
- Provide sentence starters for answers.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge them to create more complex questions that require inference.
- Ask them to compare information from two different texts on the same topic.
- Encourage summarizing the text using their own words.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend extra time on reading and discussing the text if the student is new to informational reading.
- Allow breaks between activities to maintain focus.
- Adjust the number of questions based on the student’s comfort level.
Standards
- 3.RI.3 — Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Printable Worksheet
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