Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts
Understanding Key Ideas and Details in Informational Texts Objective: Students will be able to identify key ideas and details in a grade-appropriate informational text by asking and answering questions about the text to demonstrate understanding.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the main idea of an informational text.
- Recognize supporting details that explain or give more information about the main idea.
- Ask and answer questions about the text to improve understanding.
Materials Needed
- A grade-appropriate informational text or article (printed or digital)
- Notebook or paper
- Pencil or pen
- Highlighters or colored pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Informational Text
- A nonfiction text that provides facts and information about a topic.
- Key Ideas
- The most important points or messages in a text.
- Details
- Facts or pieces of information that support the key ideas.
Detailed Activities
Reading and Identifying Key Ideas
- Choose a short informational text appropriate for a 6-year-old.
- Read the text aloud together or have the student read.
- Ask the student to think about what the text is mostly about (main idea).
- Discuss the main idea and write it down in simple words.
Finding Supporting Details
- Reread the text and highlight or underline important facts or details.
- Talk about how these details help explain or support the main idea.
- Write down 2-3 supporting details in the notebook.
Asking and Answering Questions
- Help the student come up with simple questions about the text (who, what, where, when, why, how).
- Answer the questions together using information from the text.
- Encourage the student to ask their own questions about things they want to know more about.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on helping your child understand what they read by breaking down the text into main ideas and details.
- Encourage your child to ask questions and express their thoughts about the reading to build comprehension skills.
- Keep the reading material at your child’s interest and reading level to maintain engagement.
Assessment Questions
- What is the main idea of the text you just read?
- Can you tell me two details that support the main idea?
- What question do you have about the text?
Extension Ideas
- Create a simple drawing or diagram that shows the main idea and supporting details.
- Find another short informational text on a similar topic and compare the main ideas.
- Write a few sentences summarizing what was learned from the text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try asking guiding questions like ‘What do you think this story is mostly about?’ or ‘What is the most important thing the author wants to tell us?’ Breaking the text into smaller parts can help.
Look for texts with clear, simple language and interesting topics your child likes. Books or articles with pictures can also help understanding.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students might think every detail is equally important instead of focusing on key ideas.
- Confusing the main idea with a personal opinion or a minor detail.
- Struggling to formulate questions about the text due to limited vocabulary or comprehension.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with clear pictures to support comprehension.
- Provide sentence starters for asking questions (e.g., ‘Who is…’, ‘What did…’).
- Work together to highlight key sentences before discussing main ideas.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge them to find the author’s purpose or point of view in the text.
- Encourage writing their own informational paragraph using main ideas and details.
- Use more complex texts and ask for multiple supporting details.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 10-15 minutes reading and discussing the text.
- Allow 10-15 minutes for identifying and writing key ideas and details.
- Use the remaining time for asking and answering questions and reviewing learning.
Standards
- 6.RI.6 — Identify and analyze key ideas and details in grade-level informational texts by asking and answering questions to demonstrate understanding.
Printable Worksheet
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