Understanding Key Details in Informational Texts
Understanding Key Details in Informational Texts Objective: By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to ask and answer questions about key details in a text to demonstrate understanding.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key details by finding important facts in a text.
- Ask questions about what was read to deepen understanding.
- Answer questions about the text using information from the reading.
Materials Needed
- A short grade-appropriate informational text (e.g., a simple article about animals or plants)
- Pencil and paper or notebook
- Highlighter or colored pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that gives facts about a topic instead of telling a story.
- Key Details
- Important pieces of information that help you understand what the text is about.
- Question
- Something you ask to learn more or check understanding.
Detailed Activities
Read and Discover Key Details
- Choose a short informational text suitable for first grade.
- Read the text aloud together or have the student read it out loud.
- Discuss the topic of the text and what it is mostly about.
- Use a highlighter or colored pencil to mark three important facts (key details) in the text.
- Ask the student to explain why these details are important.
Ask and Answer Questions
- Model asking a simple question about the text (e.g., ‘What is this text mostly about?’).
- Have the student practice asking their own question about the text.
- Write down the student’s question and help them find the answer in the text.
- Discuss the answer and how the key details helped find it.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Keep the reading session relaxed and encourage your child to think about what they read.
- You don’t need to finish the entire text in one sitting; focus on understanding important parts.
- Praise your child’s effort in asking questions and finding answers—it builds critical thinking skills.
Assessment Questions
- What is the main topic of the text?
- Can you tell me one important fact you learned from the text?
- What question did you ask about the text, and what was the answer?
Extension Ideas
- Create a simple drawing that shows one key detail from the text.
- Find another short informational text on a similar topic and repeat the key details and question activity.
- Write two new questions about the text and try to answer them together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start by helping your child identify the topic first, then guide them to notice facts that support the topic. Use simple questions and praise all attempts.
Read the text aloud together and focus on talking about pictures or words you both recognize. Encourage your child to share what they notice or wonder.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students might focus on less important details rather than key facts.
- Children may confuse asking questions with just repeating parts of the text without understanding.
- Some students might rush through reading without stopping to think about the content.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with clear, simple facts.
- Read the text aloud multiple times and focus on one key detail at a time.
- Use pictures to help explain the key details and questions.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge your child to write their own short informational text including key details.
- Ask them to create more complex questions about the text.
- Encourage comparing two texts on a similar topic and discussing key details in both.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 15 minutes reading and identifying key details.
- Use 15 minutes for asking and answering questions about the text.
- Allow 15 minutes for discussion, drawing, or writing to reinforce understanding.
Standards
- 1.RI.5 — Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
Printable Worksheet
Plan Your Own Lesson
Looking for a custom lesson plan? Try our Lesson Planning Generator — create standards-based plans for any topic, instantly!
Common Core Aligned Lesson Plans
Looking for another common core lesson? See all of the lesson plans here.
More Free Lesson Plans
We’re adding more every week! Check back soon or explore all our lesson plans here.
Leave a Reply