Reading Tougher Nonfiction
Aligned to RI.5.10 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Fifth-grade nonfiction can be dense with facts and new words. Read in chunks, use headings and pictures, and pause to check that you understand.
Worked examples
Example 1
Facing a science article, you read one section, glance at its diagram, then say the main idea aloud before moving to the next section.
Example 2
Facing a dense article, read the first and last sentence of each paragraph first. That usually gives you the shape before you read the details.
Example 3
If you have read a page and cannot say what it was about, do not turn the page. Going back is faster than finishing lost.
Practice questions
- Use a heading to predict what a section is about.
- Read one section and state its main idea aloud.
- List a tool that helps you tackle dense nonfiction.
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 lessonEn español
Leer Textos Informativos Más Difíciles
Los textos informativos de quinto grado pueden estar llenos de datos y palabras nuevas. Lee por partes, usa los títulos y las imágenes, y detente para comprobar que entiendes.
Ejemplo 1: Ante un artículo de ciencias, lees una sección, miras su diagrama y dices la idea principal en voz alta antes de pasar a la siguiente sección.
Ejemplo 2: Ante un artículo denso, lee primero la primera y la última oración de cada párrafo. Eso normalmente te da la forma antes de leer los detalles.
Ejemplo 3: Si leíste una página y no puedes decir de qué trataba, no la pases. Regresar es más rápido que terminar perdido.
More Reading: Informational lessons
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