Reading Comprehension: 4 Pillar Strategies to Understand Informational Text

Reading comprehension is the goal of all reading-being able to understand what we read. Comprehending informational stories (nonfiction) can present challenges, depending on the student. Learners may not have any background knowledge of the topic they are reading or an interest in the subject. Applying reading strategies can help understand both familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

Reading strategies are deliberate, goal-oriented attempts to control and modify the reader’s efforts to understand words and text. Extensive research shows that teaching comprehension strategies improves reading in young learners, students with learning disabilities and those in whole-class settings. This four-week class helps learners build confidence in their ability to read and understand often densely presented information


Fact vs. Opinion. A fact is a statement that can be proven true; and often relies on observation or research. Facts tend to involve data and information. An opinion is based on one’s own belief, perspective or values, which may not be true. Learners’ ability to recognize fact from opinion is an important skill to master and one that will benefit them throughout life. Being able to distinguish between fact and opinion empowers learners to make an informed argument for or against something. This class highlights the importance of having credible sources in informational articles, explains the concept of bias and how to recognize it in articles and text.

In this class, learners collaboratively identify fact and opinion by:
•	Distinguishing opinion words, including “I think, “I believe,” and “Some people claim…”
•	Assessing fact clues, including numbers, dates and statistics.
•	Compiling both fact and opinion statements. 
•	Analyzing kid-friendly informational and opinion articles( "Dogs are Swim Teachers for Kids with Special Needs" and "Sleep is Essential to Success in Sports"), identifying both fact and opinion statements.
•	Developing a graphic organizer to reinforce understanding of fact vs. opinion.

Main Idea. We read nonfiction to learn about a particular subject, which often includes a lot of information to understand. This class emphasizes reading and viewing nonfiction to determine what the author is teaching us. Learners ask, “What is this story mostly about?” and “What facts support the main idea?”

In this class, learners collaboratively practice determining the main idea by:
•	Watching a short, kid-friendly nonfiction video ("The Life of a Draco Lizard") and reading a kid-friendly nonfiction article ("Legos Lying Around? Toy Maker Tests Way to Make Recycle Bricks").
•	Asking, “What did I notice?” and “What is this video or text teaching me?”
•	Discussing and constructing clear one-sentence main idea statements.
•	Finding facts that support the main idea through featured images, narration or text.
•	Developing a graphic organizer to understand main idea and supporting facts.

Cause and Effect. Cause and effect is a common way to organize information in a text, which highlights the relationship between actions, events, ideas, topics and procedures. It combines action with reaction. Cause tells why something happened and effect describes what happened. Headings, pictures, graphics and captions can all indicate cause and effect in informational text.

In this class, learners collaboratively identify cause and effect by:
•	Evaluating familiar nursery rhymes for cause and effect.
•	Formulating real-life scenarios featuring cause and effect examples.
•	Classifying signal words when reading for cause and effect.
•	Surveying kid-friendly articles ("These Pumpkins Sure Can Kick!" and "Reaching New Heights") and short videos (Flocabulary) for cause and effect.
•	Developing a graphic organizer to reinforce learning cause and effect.


Inferencing. Inferential thinking is a critical reading skill needed to fully comprehend both fiction and nonfiction. Inferential text contains information not explicitly stated but has evidence to support it. That evidence can include clues, featured quotes and descriptors in the story. Learners can also integrate life experiences and prior knowledge when inferencing.

In this class, learners collaboratively practice inferencing skills by:
•	Concluding what is happening in short, silent videos ("The Blue Umbrella" and "Silent: A Short Story").
•	Describing what is occurring in a situation in pictures ("Kids in Action" and "Dogs") and wordless books ("Pancakes for Breakfast").
•	Generating real-life experiences that feature inferencing.
•	Solving riddles whose answers can be determined by using prior life experiences and knowledge.
•	Developing a graphic organizer to reinforce learning the skill of inferencing.