Understanding Key Ideas in Informational Texts
Understanding Key Ideas in Informational Texts Objective: Students will learn to ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of key details in a nonfiction text.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key details in an informational text.
- Ask and answer questions about the text to improve comprehension.
- Use question words like who, what, where, when, why, and how.
Materials Needed
- A short nonfiction article or passage suitable for 6-year-olds
- Pencils and paper
- Question cards with who, what, where, when, why, and how questions
Key Vocabulary
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that gives facts about a real topic.
- Key Details
- Important pieces of information that help you understand the story or article.
- Question
- A sentence that asks for information.
Detailed Activities
Read and Discuss
- Read the selected nonfiction passage aloud to the student.
- Pause to explain any difficult words or ideas.
- Ask the student to tell you what the passage was mostly about.
Question Time
- Use the question cards to ask the student simple questions about the text.
- Encourage the student to answer the questions using details from the passage.
- Help the student form their own questions about the text and answer them together.
Write and Draw
- Have the student write down one key detail they remember from the text.
- Ask the student to draw a picture related to that detail.
- Discuss how the picture and detail help us understand the text better.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- Encourage your child to think about the main ideas while you read together.
- Use the question cards to make asking and answering questions fun and interactive.
- Praise your child’s efforts and gently guide them if they find questions difficult.
Assessment Questions
- Who was the passage about?
- What happened in the story?
- Where did the events take place?
- Why is this information important?
- Can you ask a question about the passage?
Extension Ideas
- Visit a local library or look online for more nonfiction books on the same topic to read together.
- Create a simple fact chart or poster with key details from different informational texts.
- Encourage your child to teach a family member what they learned from the reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try reading the passage more slowly and use pictures or examples to explain key ideas. Break the text into smaller parts and discuss each part separately.
Use simple question words and give examples. Practice with everyday topics first, like asking about their favorite food or toy, then apply those skills to the text.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think all questions have one-word answers; encourage full sentences.
- Students might confuse fiction with nonfiction; explain the difference clearly.
- Students may skip details; emphasize the importance of key details for understanding.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with pictures to support understanding.
- Focus on just one or two question types at a time.
- Provide sentence starters to help form answers.
For Advanced Students:
- Encourage writing their own informational passage with key details.
- Ask them to compare two texts on the same topic and discuss differences.
- Introduce more complex question words like ‘explain’ or ‘describe’.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend extra time reading and discussing the text if needed.
- Allow more time for students to think and respond to questions.
- Adjust the number of questions based on your child’s attention span.
Standards
- 6.RI.1 — 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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