Reading Element Card Informational Text Grades K-2

BACK TO Element Cards

Teaching Informational Text All of the CCCs in this document relate to teaching informational text. Page 2 of this document provides a template of an Element Card and a line by line explanation of its components. Each Element Card contains related CCCs within a grade band (i.e., K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) and suggestions as to how the CCCs may be taught, supported and scaffolded. The suggested strategies are commonly used by general educators and may need to be modified to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Many of the instructional strategies will be strengthened when used in combination with systematic instruction such as a system of least prompts or time delay. An Instructional Resource Guide is provided on the NCSC Wiki (https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Main_Page) and contains information on how to use specific systematic instruction strategies when teaching academics. The strategies, supports and scaffolds listed on the Element Cards are suggestions and not intended to be an exhaustive list. Below are some additional resources that may be helpful:

NCSC Curriculum Resource Guides Reading Informational Text Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

• Access these guide here: https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Curriculum_Resource_Guides

NCSC Content Modules Author's Purpose and Point of View Main Idea, Theme, and Details Summarizing and Inferencing Text Structure Vocabulary Use and Acquisition Informational Writing Persuasive Writing

• Access all Content Modules here: https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Content_Modules

Websites for additional information http://aim.cast.org http://www.inspiration.com/community/lessons-and-ideas www.edhelper.com http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/graphic-organizers-reading-comprehension http://learnzillion.com http://www.teacherspayteachers.com http://www.ncte.org/standards/common-core/nonfiction-texts http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2013/02/informational-text-the-common-core-and-the-library-of-congress-a-resource-center-rich-with-primary-sources-and-teacher-tools/

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Retelling Texts Using Details1

	Grade 3 students:	Grade 4 students:	Grade 5 students:
2	CCSS	CCSS	CCSS
3	PI	PI	PI
4	CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
	Specific K grade CCCs would be listed here.	Specific 1st grade CCCs would be listed here.	Specific 2nd grade CCCs would be listed here.
5	Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding:
6	Suggested Instructional Strategies:
7	Suggested Scaffolds and Supports:

Explanations for corresponding line numbers

1. Strand and Instructional Family: The Instructional Families group the CCCs into easily interpretable visuals that illustrate the areas of curricular emphasis within and across grades by ELA CCSS Anchors and Anchor Standards. https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Instructional_Families
2. Common Core State Standard (CCSS): A set of national standards that provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. http://www.corestandards.org/
3. Progress Indicators (PI): The PIs come directly from the Learning Progression Framework (LPF) and provide the sequence for instruction within strands. http://www.naacpartners.org/publications/ELA_LPF_12.2011_final.pdf
4. Core Content Connectors (CCCs): The CCCs represent the eligible content for instruction and assessment for students who participate in the alternate assessment based upon alternate achievement standards. The CCC cells are color coded to represent the Instructional Family. https://wiki.ncscpartners.org/index.php/Core_Content_Connectors
5. Essential Understandings: The Essential Understandings (EUs) identify the fundamental concepts and skills that students use to address the content described in a reading CCC at a specific grade level. These EUs are in a suggested progression which reflects one potential path to reach the content targets within the CCCs. Since students differ in how they learn and demonstrate their understanding, instructional decisions should be made by the teacher to meet the needs of each student.
6. Suggested Strategies: Suggested instructional strategies to teach the specific concepts and skills of the CCC.
7. Suggested Supports and Scaffolds: Suggested supports and scaffolds for students to be able to demonstrate what they know and can do.

*Strategies/Supports/Scaffolds should promote understanding for a range of students and should support instruction at various levels of difficulty.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Using Details to Describe Text & Describing the Main Idea

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS:RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RI.K.2 With Prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.	CCSS:RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.	CCSS:RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas. RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
PI: E.RI.d approaching informational text with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topics.	PI: E.RI.d approaching informational text with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topics.	PI: E.RI.d approaching informational text with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topics.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.d1 With prompting and support, answer questions about key details in a text. K.RI.d3 With prompting and support, retell/identify key details in text. K.HD.d3 Discuss key details and main topic of a preferred text.	1.RI.d1 Answer questions about key details in a text read, read aloud, or viewed. 1.RI.d3 Retell/Identify key details in a text. 1.HD.d5 Discuss key details and main topic of a preferred text.	2.RI.d1 Answer who, what, where, when, why, and how questions from informational text. 2.HD.d4 Discuss key details and main topic of a preferred text.
Essential Understanding: Identify photo, diagram, or graphic on a page of informational text. THEN Identify key details from the text base on a photo, diagram, or graphic. THEN Answer simple questions about key details from the text.	Essential Understanding: Identify photo, diagram, or graphic on a page of informational text. THEN Identify key details from the text based on a photo, diagram, or graphic. THEN Answer simple questions about key details from the text.	Essential Understanding: Explain the contribution or purpose of illustrations in informational text. THEN Identify a key idea from a list that corresponds to an illustration. THEN Answer simple questions about a key idea from the text.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand KWL Charts: Before, during and after reading a text, create a KWL chart with the class to answer questions about key details in the text. What we Know about a topic What we Wonder about a topic What we Learned about a topic Discuss to Understand Instructional Conversations: Individually, in small groups, or with the whole class, engage in a conversation about a content-area topic. First, teachers should ask students what they already know about the topic to determine their background knowledge. Next, the teacher can provide direct information about the topic to build their knowledge. Then, teachers ask different questions about the topic and allow the group to have an open conversation about the topic. Students should support their ideas by using information they learned from books or other multimedia sources. Socratic Seminar: To encourage students to think more deeply about texts, teachers can lead students in Socratic Seminars. Before meeting with a small group or whole class, the teacher should make a list of questions to ask about a specific topic. These questions should go beyond literal (who, what, when, where) questions and should begin to ask children to delve deeper about the topic (how and why). Throughout the seminar, the teacher should position him/herself as question-asker. Students should have a free-flowing conversation with minimal interruptions from the teacher. Prediction: While presenting information or a nonfiction text, stop to have students make predictions. Critical Thinking: While presenting a story have students answer questions on each page about the key information present. Sort to Understand Students can sort pictures from the text into categories of "Who, what, when, where". Students can sort key words into categories of "Who, what, when, where". Students can match identical pictures to the text (e.g., person to person, place to place). Concept Sort: Key Details Have students sort key details associated with various topics. Choose two or more familiar topics and a text about each topic and have the students sort/match word cards, picture cards, or objects according to topic, placing the words/pictures/objects on or near the cover of the corresponding text. Then, students answer who, what, when, where, why, how questions about each topic or text verbally or by pointing to the picture or object. Example/Non-Example* of evidence from text that illustrates key ideas or details. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud an informational text in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud. Then, as the teacher continues to read, the teacher should begin answering the questions him/herself. Key Details Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and organize the key details in a story by using a story graphic organizer.
Scaffolds and Supports Graphic Organizers Various informational Texts Interactive whiteboard and/or chart paper Read aloud texts Preview of the text and details, frontloading Highlighted important information Color coded information within the text A picture glossary for the terms who, what, where, when, why, and how Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., video, audio, computer) Black and white illustrations Clearly differentiated multiple-choice answers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simpler or shorter text with the same key details, illustrations added or adapted, as needed Peer support, collaborative grouping
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Using Details to Describe Text & Describing the Main Idea

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.	CCSS:RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text. RI.1.7 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.	CCSS: RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
PI:E.RI.d Approaching informational text with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topics. E.RI.e Locating/Interpreting information using a variety of text features (e.g., title, illustrations, bold print, glossary).	PI: RI.d Approaching informational text with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topics.	PI: E.RI.d Approaching informational text with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topics.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.d2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic. K.RI.e1 During shared literacy activities suggest things you might learn about for a given print or non-print text (e.g., What do you think we might learn about in this book?). K.HD.d3 Discuss key details and main topic of a preferred text.	1.RI.d2 Identify the main topic of an informational text. 1.HD.d5 Discuss key details and main topic of a preferred text.	2.RI.d2 Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph informational text. 2.HD.d4 Discuss key details and main topic of a preferred text.
Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, answer simple questions about the topic of an informational text.	Essential Understanding: Answer a simple question about the main topic of an informational text.	Essential Understanding: Identify the main topic of a simple informational text (e.g., one paragraph).
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Information Coding for Main Topic:Provide the students with a copy of the text the students for students to mark. Students should then create a coding system to help them mark and understand the text. The coding system might look something like this: Code Meaning _______ Here is the main topic. *** A main detail that supports the topic. Discuss to Understand Instructional Conversations: Individually, in small groups, or with the whole class, engage in a conversation about a content-area topic. First, teachers should ask students what they already know about the topic to determine their background knowledge. Next, the teacher can provide direct information about the topic to build their knowledge. Then, teachers ask different questions about the topic and allow the group to have an open conversation about the topic. Students should support their ideas by using information they learned from books or other multimedia sources. Socratic Seminar: To encourage students to think more deeply about texts, teachers can lead students in Socratic Seminars. Before meeting with a small group or whole class, the teacher should make a list of questions to ask about a specific topic. These questions should go beyond literal (who, what, when, where) questions and should begin to ask children to delve deeper about the topic (how and why). Throughout the seminar, the teacher should position him/herself as question-asker. Students should have a free-flowing conversation with minimal interruptions from the teacher. Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to think individually about a question then meet with a peer to discuss their answers. Then, after they have had time to discuss with a peer they can share their thoughts with the rest of the class. Prediction: While presenting information or a nonfiction text, stop to have students make predictions. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud an informational text in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud about the main idea and supporting details. Key Details Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and organize the key details in a story by using a story graphic organizer.
Scaffolds and Supports Copies of texts for students Information Code guides (printed on small sheet of paper for the students to use) Various informational Texts Read aloud texts Preview of the text and details, frontloading Highlighted important information Color coded information within the text A picture glossary for the terms who, what, where, when, why, and how Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., video, audio, computer) Black and white illustrations Clearly differentiated multiple-choice answers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simpler or shorter text with the same key details, illustrations added or adapted, as needed Peer support, collaborative grouping
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. www.liketoread.com

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Analyzing Relationships

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.	CCSS: RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.	CCSS:
PI: E.RI.f Making connections among pieces of information (e.g., sequence events, steps in a process, cause-effect, compare-contrast relationships).	PI: E.RI.f Making connections among pieces of information (e.g., sequence events, steps in a process, cause- effect, compare-contrast relationships)	PI:
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.f1 With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information.	1.RI.f1 Describe the connection between two individuals, events, or pieces of information in a text.
Essential Understanding: Answer simple questions about an individual event, idea, or piece of information.	Essential Understanding: Answer simple questions about an individual event, idea, or piece of information. THEN Identify connections between two individuals, events, or pieces of information.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand: Informational Venn Diagrams: To get students to understand the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information use a compare/contrast text structure. Brainstorm (individually, in a small group, or with the whole class) how two or more things are alike and/or how they are different. Time Lines: Individually, in pairs, or with the whole class, students can draw a timeline to record important events in history or important milestones in a well-known person's life. Students can create multiple timelines of the same historical period to compare the influence of one thing on something else (e.g. timeline of important events of the Civil Rights movement and a timeline of historical Civil Rights legislature that was passed as a result). Discuss to Understand Instructional Conversations: Individually, in small groups, or with the whole class, engage in a conversation about a content-area topic. First, teachers should ask students what they already know about the topic to determine their background knowledge. Next, the teacher can provide direct information about the topic to build their knowledge. Then, teachers ask different questions about the topic and allow the group to have an open conversation about the topic. Students should support their ideas by using information they learned from books or other multimedia sources. Through these discussions, students should begin examining how different people, events, ideas, or concepts are connected. Socratic Seminar: To encourage students to think more deeply about texts, teachers can lead students in Socratic Seminars. Before meeting with a small group or whole class, the teacher should make a list of questions to ask about a specific topic. These questions should go beyond literal (who, what, when, where) questions and should begin to ask children to delve deeper about the topic (how and why). Specifically, students should begin to make connections between individuals, ideas, events, and concepts from the informational texts. Throughout the seminar, the teacher should position him/herself as question-asker. Students should have a free-flowing conversation with minimal interruptions from the teacher. Discussion Webs: Write a question about the informational text in the middle of the web. Draw lines extending from the web and ask students to provide responses for the question. For example, you may write "Who was Martin Luther King?" in the middle of the web. Then, on extended lines students can offer responses to the question. You might have connectors that specifically ask students to make connections between the topic and other aspects of the topic. Prediction: While presenting information or a nonfiction text, stop to have students make predictions. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud an informational text in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud. Then, as the teacher continues to read, the teacher should begin answering the questions him/herself.
Scaffolds and Supports Graphic Organizers Timelines Various informational Texts Preview of the text and details, frontloading Highlighted important information Color coded information within the text A picture glossary for the terms who, what, where, when, why, and how Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., video, audio, computer) Black and white illustrations Clearly differentiated multiple-choice answers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simpler or shorter text with the same key details, illustrations added or adapted, as needed Peer support, collaborative grouping
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Identifying Text Structure

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS:	CCSS: RI.1.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text. RI.1.7 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.	CCSS: RI.2.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
PI:	PI: E.RI.e Locating/Interpreting information using a variety of text features (e.g., title, illustrations, bold print, glossary).	PI: E.RI.e Locating/Interpreting information using a variety of text features (e.g., title, illustrations, bold print, glossary).
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
	1.RI.e2 Identify and use various text features (e.g., bold text, titles) to locate key facts or information in a text. 1.HD.e2 Identify text features to aid comprehension. 1.HD.e3 Use text features to aid comprehension.	2.RI.e1 Identify and use various text features (e.g., title, bold print, illustrations, glossaries) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently. 2.HD.e1 Identify text features to aid comprehension. 2.HD.e2 Use text features to aid comprehension.
Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding: Identify various text features (e.g., bold text, titles) within informational text. THEN Locate key facts and information using text features.	Essential Understanding: Identify various text features (e.g., title, bold print, illustrations, glossaries) within informational text. THEN Locate key facts and information using text features.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Informational Text Structures: To help students understand various informational text structures, pass out a blank graphic organizer (cluster map for descriptive texts, Venn Diagram for compare/contrast texts, a step-by-step guide for sequential texts, a cause/effect organizer for cause/effect texts, and a problem/solution organizer for problem/solution texts). Individually, with partners, in small groups, or as a whole class, ask students to help you fill out the graphic organizer as you read a text aloud. Discuss to Understand Instructional Conversations: Individually, in small groups, or with the whole class, engage in a conversation about the text features of a content-area topic. Students should use the text features within the text to answer a series of questions about how text features help aid comprehension. Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to think individually about a question then meet with a peer to discuss their answers. Then, after they have had time to discuss with a peer they can share their thoughts with the rest of the class. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud an informational text in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud. Then, as the teacher continues to read, the teacher should begin answering the questions him/herself.
Suggested Scaffolds and Supports Graphic Organizers Various informational texts Interactive white board White board/chart paper Repeated exposure to content and strategies Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Preview of the text, illustrations, and details, frontloading Highlighted important information Focusing on a few text features at a time Peer support, collaborative grouping
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Distinguishing a Point of View

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RI.K.6 Name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.	CCSS: RI.1.6 Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.	CCSS: RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…	PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…	PI: E.RI.k Using supporting evidence to analyze or compare texts or parts of texts: author's purpose, points of view, key ideas/details, different accounts.
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.g1 Identify the author's purpose in an informational text.	2.RI.g1 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what question the author is answering, explaining, or describing.	3.RI.k1 Identify the author's purpose in an informational text.
Essential Understanding: Identify the author of an informational text.	Essential Understanding: Identify the author of an informational text. THEN Describe why the author might have written the text.	Essential Understanding: Identify the author of an informational text. THEN Describe why the author might have written the text.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Discuss to Understand Socratic Seminar: To encourage students to think more about the author's purpose of the text, including what question the author is answering, explaining, or describing, teachers can lead students in Socratic Seminars. Before meeting with a small group or whole class, the teacher should make a list of questions to ask about the author's purpose. Throughout the seminar, the teacher should position him/herself as question-asker. Students should have a free-flowing conversation with minimal interruptions from the teacher. Think, Pair, Share: Ask students to think individually about the author's purpose, then meet with a peer to discuss their answers. After they have had time to discuss with a peer they can share their thoughts with the rest of the class. Discussion Webs: Write a question about the author's purpose in the middle of a web. Draw lines extending from the web and ask students to provide responses for the question. For example, you may write "What was the author's purpose in this report about volcanoes?" in the middle of the web. Then, on extended lines students can offer responses to the question. They may respond with, "To teach us something," "To help us better understand volcanoes," "To warn us," "To scare us," etc. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud an informational text in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud about the author's purpose. Then, as the teacher continues to read, the teacher should begin answering the questions him/herself.
Scaffolds and Supports Graphic Organizers Various informational Texts Interactive White Board Preview of the text and features, frontloading Highlighted important information A list of possible authors' purposes for reference Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplified language as needed
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Distinguishing Point of View & Connecting Diverse Media and Formats

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).	CCSS: RI.1.6 Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text. RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.	CCSS: RI.2.7 Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.
PI: E.RI.c Recognizing organization and features of informational texts (e.g., describes a topic, finds facts in visual information). E.RI.f Making connections among pieces of information (e.g., sequence events, steps in a process, cause-effect, compare-contrast relationships).	PI: E.RI.c Recognizing organization and features of informational texts (e.g., describes a topic, finds facts in visual information). E.RI.f Making connections among pieces of information (e.g., sequence events, steps in a process, cause- effect, compare-contrast relationships).	PI: E.RI.e Locating/Interpreting information using a variety of text features (e.g., title, illustrations, bold print, glossary).
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.c1 Identify a labeled photo or diagram or graph from within an informational text. K.RI.f2 With prompting and support, interpret the information provided in photos or diagrams or graphics and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).	1.RI.c1 Use the photos, diagrams, or graphics and details in a text to describe or identify key ideas. 1.RI.f3 Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.	2.RI.e2 Explain or identify what specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) teach the reader to do or tell the reader. 2.RI.c1 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe or identify key ideas.
Essential Understanding: Identify a photo/diagram/graphic in an informational text. THEN Answer simple questions about the photo/diagram/graphic.	Essential Understanding: Identify a photo/diagram/graphic in an informational text. THEN Differentiate a photo/diagram/graphic from the caption describing it.	Essential Understanding: Identify a specific image in the text that matches a provided description.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Discuss to Understand Think, Pair, Share: First, ask students to individually identify a labeled photo or diagram or graph from within an informational text. Then, with a peer, ask students to interpret the information provided in the photograph, diagram, or graphic. After they have had time to discuss with a peer they can share their thoughts with the rest of the class. As they share with the rest of the class, the teacher can provide some prompting and support to help facilitate the discussion. Discussion Webs: Place a photograph, diagram, or graph in the middle of a web. Next, ask students to create strands of the web by identifying what specific images teach the reader to do. Based on the webs, students can describe or identify key elements. Critical Thinking: While presenting a story have students answer questions on each page about the key information present. Model to Understand Think Aloud: The purpose for asking students questions about texts is to get them into the habit of self-questioning as they read by themselves. To model this, a teacher should read aloud an informational text in front of the class. Then, periodically, the teacher should stop and ask questions out loud. For this particular think aloud, the teacher should identify a photo/graphic/diagram. Then, the teacher should talk aloud as he/she distinguishes between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
Scaffolds and Supports Various informational Texts Interactive White Board Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Identical pictures that can be matched to the illustration in the book Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., book, storyboard, video, computer, etc.) Simpler or shorter text with the same key events. Larger, more detailed, illustrations may be added Black and white illustrations
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Describing the Main Idea & Gather Information

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RI.K.8 With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.	CCSS: RI.1.8 Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.	CCSS:RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text. RI.2.8 Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.
PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…	PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…	PI: E.RI.d Approaching informational texts with a question to answer; identifying key details and main topic. E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.g2 With prompting and support, identify the facts an author gives to support points in a text.	1.RI.g1 Identify the facts and details an author gives to support points in a text.	2.RI.d3 Identify the focus of a paragraph and the details that support the focus in an informational text. 2.RI.g2 Identify the facts and details an author gives to support points in a text.
Essential Understanding: With prompting and support, identify a fact in an informational text.	Essential Understanding: Identify a fact in an informational text. THEN Identify a detail linked to a fact in an informational text.	Essential Understanding: Identify a fact. THEN Identify a detail. THEN Identify the focus of a paragraph within a text.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Information Coding for Main Topic: Information Coding:Provide the students with a copy of the text the students for students to mark. Students should then create a coding system to help them mark and understand the text. The coding system might look something like this: Code Meaning _______ Here is the focus of a paragraph. *** This is a fact and detail that support the focus of the paragraph. Graphic Organizer (e.g., bubble) List the topic of a text or multi-media and note events and/or details that support the topic (e.g., the best time to plant pumpkins, how long it takes them to grow and ripen, typical size, uses, etc.). Use a system of least prompts used when selecting a supporting detail.* Sort to Understand Fact Sorting: Make a set of sorting cards with various sentences/paragraphs from the informational text. On different sorting cards, write facts from the text and other sentences that do not include facts from the text (they could be opinions or they could be facts about different sets of information). Create two category cards: Facts from the Text and Not Facts from the Texts. Then, individually, in small groups, or with the whole class sort the evidence into the two categories. Model to Understand Think aloud: Model the thought processes that occur while reading the text. This may include: asking questions while reading the text, identifying important details, identifying the topic, and identifying the main idea.1 Key Details Using a text from a read aloud, shared reading lesson, or guided reading lesson, the teacher can model how to select and organize the key details using a story graphic organizer.
Scaffolds and Supports Coding sheets Copies of informational texts for each student Sorting cards Various informational Texts Interactive White Board Highlighted important information Graphic organizers Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simpler or shorter text with the same key events or details Peer support, collaborative grouping Preview of the text and events, frontloading Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., book, storyboard, video, computer, etc.)
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. www.liketoread.com 1Moore, P., & Lyon, A. (2005). New essentials for teaching reading in pre-k-2. (pp. 96-97). New York, New York: Scholastic.

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as time delay, example/non-example and the use of a system of least prompts.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Analyzing Across Texts

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS: RI.K.9 With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).	CCSS: RI.1.9 Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).	CCSS: RI.2.9 Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…	PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…	PI: E.RI.g Exploring the differences among texts and recognizing author's purpose: texts to "teach" us about…
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
K.RI.g3 With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., imaginary or real bear; photo versus illustration of something not real).	1.RI.g2 Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).	2.RI.f1 Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
Essential Understanding: Identify what is the same and what is different for two similar images or photographs. THEN With prompting and support, identify the topic of a text.	Essential Understanding: Identify what is the same and what is different for two similar images or photographs. THEN Identify the topic of a text.	Essential Understanding: Identify the most important facts of a text on a familiar topic. THEN Identify the most important facts of a second text on the same familiar topic. THEN Identify if two selected facts from the two texts on the topic agree or disagree.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Informational Venn Diagrams: For texts that use a compare/contrast text structure, brainstorm (individually, in a small group, or with the whole class) how two texts about the same topic are similar and how the two texts are different. Discuss to Understand Socratic Seminar: To encourage students to think more deeply about texts, teachers can lead students in Socratic Seminars. Before meeting with a small group or whole class, the teacher should make a list of questions to ask about how two texts about the same topic are similar/different. Throughout the seminar, the teacher should position him/herself as question-asker. Students should have a free-flowing conversation with minimal interruptions from the teacher. Sort to Understand Information Sorting: On three sorting cards, create three categories with the titles: Text \#1 (name of text), Text \#2 (name of text), and Similar. On the other sorting cards write a list of similarities and differences. Present the students with a sort. Each of those concepts can be a category. On other cards, write corresponding facts that would match under the various categories. Ask students to sort the cards accordingly. Text #1 Panda Bears Similarities Text #2 Polar Bears Live in China Are mammals Live in the Arctic
Scaffolds and Supports Graphic Organizers Sorting cards Various informational Texts Interactive White Board Repeated exposure to content and strategies Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to provide access to content and facilitate responding Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Highlighted important information Peer support, collaborative grouping
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Note: Many of these strategies will be strengthened through the use of Systematic Instruction. Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies.

Grades K–2 Reading Element Card – Informational Text – Analyzing Relationships

Grade K students:	Grade 1 students:	Grade 2 students:
CCSS:	CCSS:	CCSS: RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
PI:	PI:	PI: E.RI.f making connections among pieces of information (e.g., sequence events, steps in a process, cause- effect, compare-contrast relationships)
CCCs	CCCs	CCCs
		2.RI.f2 Identify the sequence of events in an informational text. 2.RI.f3 Identify the steps in a process in an informational text. 2.RI.f4 Identify the cause and effect relationships in an informational text.
Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding:	Essential Understanding: Identify the sequence of events from a provided set of familiar events. THEN Identify the steps in a process from a provided familiar process. THEN Identify the effect of a provided cause (or vice versa). THEN With guidance and support, identify the text structure of a text as either sequence or cause/effect.
Suggested Instructional Strategies: Write to Understand Time Lines: Individually, in pairs, or with the whole class, students can draw a timeline to record important events in history or important milestones in a well-known person's life. Students can create multiple timelines of the same historical period to compare the influence of one thing on something else (e.g. timeline of important events of the Civil Rights movement and a timeline of historical Civil Rights legislature that was passed as a result). Sequence Graphic Organizer: For texts that use a sequential text structure, brainstorm (individually, in a small group, or with the whole class) how the events unfold in a text. As each event unfolds, place the event in each box of the graphic organizer. Sketch, Write, Type, or Choose a Pictorial Representation of the Key Events: To help students read closely while analyzing the events in an informational text, use system of least prompts* to have students sketch, write, type, (or choose from picture or word options) the key events while focusing on the following questions: What happened first/in the beginning? What happened next/in the middle? What happened last/at the end? What caused___ to happen? Chart Paper/Display (key events): Keep record of key events as the text is read. Preview the type of information to look for prior to reading. Practice finding KEY events with a set of short paragraphs or very short texts. Teacher think-aloud of key events and evidence from the text. Record any signal words used in the text. Identify pictures that represent the key events (beginning, middle, and end) of a given text. Discuss to Understand Critical Thinking: While presenting an informational text, have students answer questions on each page about the key information, focusing on cause/effect. Prediction: While presenting a text, stop to have students predict what might happen (cause/effect).
Scaffolds and Supports Graphic Organizers Various informational Texts Interactive White Board Preview of the text and events, frontloading Blank storyboards Prepared objects, pictures, words, sentence strips, or recorded communication supports to facilitate responding Identical pictures that can be matched to the illustration in the book Highlighted key words (e.g., signal words) Color coding of events in story, on graphic organizer, and on charts (e.g., beginning=green, middle=yellow, end=red) A list of signal words for reference (e.g., first, next, after, before, last) Videos or story boards/cards of the story for visual supports Dichotomous questions that allow for making a choice of correct versus incorrect answers Simplify language as needed Use of first/then language and visual supports to identify sequencing information Repeated exposure to content and strategies Content delivered using multi-media (e.g., book, storyboard, video, computer, etc.) Simpler or shorter text of the same story with the same key events Peer support, collaborative grouping
Additional Resources Tompkins, G. (2005). Patterns of practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

* Refer to Instructional Resource Guide for full descriptions and examples of systematic instructional strategies such as time delay, example/non-example and the use of a system of least prompts.