VSRA 2015 Informational Comprehension

How can teachers support the development of elementary students’ informational comprehension? Essential teaching moves include:

• 1. Provide exposure and experience to different types of informational text by using authentic literacy activities.

  2. Scaffold students’ comprehension of different types of informational text.

USEFUL RESOURCES

Sources of Informational Texts

• • Existing Informational Texts in Classrooms and Libraries

  • Student-Created Informational Texts

  • Online Digital Texts

    • • Sources for published texts

        • • NewsEla

          • ALA Great Websites for Kids

          • We Give Books

          • News Sites for Kids

          • Our Little Earth: Global News for World Citizens

      • Student book-publishing sites

        • • Student Treasures

      • Book reviews written by students for students

        • • Spaghetti Book Club

          • Share What You Are Reading

          • SlimeKids Book Reviews

      • Sites that include students’ contributions

        • • Wikijunior

          • Wonderopolis

      • Online search engines for elementary students

        • • http://www.kidtopia.info/

          • http://www.kidsclick.org/

      • Other sites

        • • News for Your School

          • Smithsonian Tween Tribune

          • Smithsonian Kids

          • Exploratorium Online Exhibits

          • National Geographic Explore

  • Free Informational Texts from the Community (e.g., brochures, pamphlets, advertisements)

TIP FOR SUCCESS

Questions which can help students to identify different types of informational text can be found below.

Procedural Text

Is there a “how” in the title?

Does the author say “you will make or do…” at the beginning?

Is there a “materials” section?

Are there labeled steps and demonstrative graphics?

Biography

Do titles or headings include people’s names?

Does it tell a “story” about people’s lives and contributions?

Does it include images or a timeline of important events in their lives?

Persuasive Text

Does the author take a stand on something in the title or first paragraph?

Does the author include supporting reasons, examples, and graphics?

Does the author include “appeals”?

Exposition

Is there an “about” in the title, or does the author tell “about” something?

Does the author include details in the running text and/or graphics about the topic?

Does the author use “timeless” language?