Top 4 Reasons to Use Informational text in Primary Grades

Prepare students for future academic demands.

Standardized testing Technology

Increase interest in science and math

Increase Vocabulary

• Informational text exposes children to technical vocabulary as well as content vocabulary.

• Awareness of structure words: alike, different, similar, however, and contrast.

• Introduction of visual literacy- identifying graphics unique to nonfiction/informational text. Examples: photographs, maps, diagrams, graphs and tables

Motivate and Engage

• Informational text can motivate students to read to answer questions, clarify confusions and extend their learning.

• Research indicates that informational text may motivate boys to read more.

• Engage in natural and social world.

• Children are curious about their world and informational text can answer questions about

Informational Text creates a bridge to the real world.

Explicit Teaching

• Young children benefit from explicit teaching of informational text structures and features.

NonFiction

• Young children benefit from Explicit teaching of text structures and features.

• The compare/ contrast structure was the most common structure used in the research for using informational text with primary children.

• Teaching the features such as table of contents, photographs, labels and captions can help young students locate what is important in nonfiction text.

Authentic Setting

• Young children comprehend nonfiction text better when instruction is embedded in an authentic literacy event.

• Nonfiction text is used to locate information and learn facts on specific topics.

• When young children have an opportunity to use the information for a real purpose a deeper understanding can occur.

What are the lines on this leaf?

Nonfiction books have the answers.

Instructional Strategies

• Read – Alouds has been found to be the most common strategy to expose and teach informational text to young children.

Systematic Instructional Programincluding reading, writing, and clue

words specifically using nonfiction text.

The 21st Century student must be prepared for an informational future.