CurriculumGrade 4English Language Arts

Reading Nonfiction Well

Aligned to RI.4.10 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Strong readers can understand many kinds of true texts, like history and science books that match their grade. When the reading gets tricky, you slow down, use the headings and pictures, and reread parts to make sure the facts make sense.

Worked example

Reading a science book about volcanoes, a good reader checks the labeled diagram, rereads a hard sentence about magma, and pauses to picture it before moving on.

Practice questions

  1. Name two kinds of nonfiction texts you have read this year.
  2. Describe how headings or pictures help you when reading nonfiction.
  3. Explain what you do when a fact in a book is hard to understand.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

▶ Watch this lesson

En español

Leer Bien la No Ficción

Los lectores fuertes pueden entender muchos tipos de textos verdaderos, como libros de historia y ciencia que corresponden a su grado. Cuando la lectura se pone difícil, vas más despacio, usas los títulos y las imágenes, y relees partes para asegurarte de que los hechos tengan sentido.

Ejemplo: Al leer un libro de ciencia sobre volcanes, un buen lector revisa el diagrama con etiquetas, relee una oración difícil sobre el magma, y hace una pausa para imaginarlo antes de seguir.

More Reading: Textos Informativos lessons

Facts and InferencesRI.4.1What Happened and WhyRI.4.3Nonfiction VocabularyRI.4.4How Nonfiction Is BuiltRI.4.5Firsthand vs. SecondhandRI.4.6Reading Charts and PicturesRI.4.7

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