English // Reading Comprehension
Main Topic of Informational Texts
Identify the main topic and retell key details of informational texts; describe connections between individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information
Quick check
After the learner reads a short fact book — like one about animals or space — can they tell you what the main topic was and give you a few key facts they learned from it?
Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.
Topic // Mastery
What mastery looks like
- State what a non-fiction text is mostly about in one sentence
- List two or three important facts learned from an informational text
- Explain how two events or ideas in a text are connected
Topic // Map
Where this fits
- RequiredMust come first
- HelpfulHelps, but not essential
Before this
1 topic- Listening to Texts Read AloudRequired
Reading Comprehension // Ages 5 to 10
Listening comprehension foundational for informational text
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Main Topic of Informational Texts
Ages 5 to 7 // Method
Leads to
6 topics- Non-Fiction Text FeaturesRequired
Reading Comprehension // Ages 6 to 9
Non-fiction structures build on Y1 informational text main topic
- Main Topic & Key DetailsRequired
Reading Comprehension // Ages 6 to 10
Multi-paragraph main idea analysis builds on identifying main topic and key details in simpler texts
- Main Ideas & Note-TakingRequired
Reading Comprehension // Ages 7 to 10
Summarising builds on identifying main topic in informational texts
- Connecting Ideas in TextsRequired
Reading Comprehension // Ages 8 to 9
Describing connections in informational text builds on identifying main topic and key details
Reading Comprehension // Ages 5 to 9
Informational text knowledge supports comparison
Reading Comprehension // Ages 6 to 8
Understanding main topic and key details of informational texts supports discussing how items of information are related
Topic // Standards
Curriculum standards
- Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects
- RI.1.2RI.1.8RI.K.2RI.K.3
English // Reading Comprehension
More in Reading Comprehension
- Connecting reading to experienceAges 5 to 7Thinking skillLink what is read or heard to own experiences; draw on background knowledge and vocabulary to support understanding of texts
- Different Types of TextsAges 5 to 7ConceptRecognise common types of texts (storybooks, poems, non-fiction); name the author and illustrator and define the role of each in telling or presenting a text
- Characters, settings, and eventsAges 5 to 8ConceptIdentify characters, settings, and major events in stories; become familiar with key stories, fairy tales, and traditional tales and retell them with key…
- Book Features and Author's ReasonsAges 5 to 8ConceptIdentify front cover, back cover, and title page of a book; identify the reasons an author gives to support points in informational text
- Characters' Viewpoints and ResponsesAges 6 to 8ConceptIdentify and compare characters' points of view, recognise who is narrating a story, describe how characters respond to events and challenges, and compare…
- Retelling Stories with StructureAges 6 to 8ConceptRetell stories including key details in sequence, describe characters, settings, and major events using evidence from the text, and describe the overall…
- Pictures and Text Working TogetherAges 5 to 9RepresentationDescribe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear; use pictures to support and extend comprehension
- Reading between the linesAges 5 to 10MethodAsk and answer questions about key details in literary and informational texts; make simple inferences based on what characters say and do