Understanding and Explaining Texts: Reading Informational Texts
Understanding and Explaining Texts: Reading Informational Texts Objective: Students will be able to read an informational text carefully and explain what the text says explicitly and make logical inferences based on the content.
Learning Objectives
- Identify key facts and details stated explicitly in an informational text.
- Use clues from the text to make logical inferences about the information.
- Explain in their own words what the text says explicitly and what can be inferred.
Materials Needed
- Printed copy of a short informational text (age-appropriate, about 1-2 pages)
- Pencils
- Notebook or lined paper
- Highlighters or colored pencils
Key Vocabulary
- Informational Text
- A type of writing that provides facts about a topic, such as articles, reports, or nonfiction books.
- Explicit
- Clearly and directly stated in the text.
- Inference
- A conclusion reached based on evidence and reasoning from the text, not directly stated.
Detailed Activities
Reading and Highlighting Key Information
- Read the chosen informational text aloud together with your child.
- Ask your child to use a highlighter or colored pencil to mark sentences that clearly state important facts.
- Discuss these highlighted sentences and write down what they say explicitly.
Making Inferences from the Text
- Explain what an inference is, using simple examples.
- Ask your child to look for clues in the text that suggest ideas or information that are not directly stated.
- Together, write down these inferences and the clues that helped make them.
Summarizing What the Text Says
- Help your child write a short summary explaining what the text says explicitly and what they inferred.
- Encourage your child to use complete sentences and their own words.
- Review the summary together and correct any misunderstandings.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- This lesson focuses on comprehension skills necessary for understanding nonfiction texts.
- Be patient and offer plenty of encouragement, especially if your child is new to reading informational texts.
- Use simple language when explaining vocabulary and concepts.
- Reading together allows you to model good reading habits and thinking strategies.
Assessment Questions
- What is one fact that the text clearly states?
- Can you find a part of the text that helps you understand something that isn’t directly stated? What is it?
- In your own words, what is the main idea of the text?
Extension Ideas
- Have your child find another short informational article on a topic they like and practice the same skills independently.
- Create a simple graphic organizer with two columns: ‘Explicit Information’ and ‘Inferences’ to help organize thoughts.
- Encourage your child to create a short oral presentation explaining what they learned from the text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with very simple texts and examples. Explain that inferences are like being a detective, using clues from the text and what they already know. Practice together and praise their efforts.
Ask them to explain parts of the text in their own words and answer questions about details and main ideas. Summaries and discussing the text are great ways to check understanding.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Children may think all information stated in the text is an opinion rather than a fact.
- Students sometimes confuse making an inference with guessing randomly without evidence.
- They might struggle to distinguish between what is explicitly stated and what is implied.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use shorter texts with simpler vocabulary.
- Provide sentence starters to help formulate responses.
- Use visual aids like charts or pictures related to the text.
For Advanced Students:
- Challenge them to find multiple inferences and explain how each is supported by the text.
- Encourage them to compare two informational texts on the same topic.
- Have them write their own informational paragraph using explicit facts and inferred ideas.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend 10-15 minutes on reading and highlighting key information.
- Spend 15 minutes discussing and making inferences.
- Spend 10-15 minutes summarizing and reviewing understanding.
- Allow time for questions and clarifications as needed.
Standards
- 7.RI.10 — Read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
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