knowledge: inquiry and hands-on experiences, teacher
presentations and demonstrations, class discussions, and
audio and visual media. Each of these approaches should
be employed routinely. It is important that students who
are experiencing difficulty with reading are supported as
they learn from texts; teachers should not avoid using
texts with students who find them challenging and rely
only on non-text media and experiences. Replacing texts
with other sources of information—in spite of the intention
to ensure access to the curriculum—limits students’ skill
to independently learn with texts in the future. In other
words, instruction should be provided that enables all
students to learn with texts alongside other learning
experiences.
In previous grades, students interacted with a range of informational texts. They learned to
ask and answer questions about grade-level text content (RI.K–3.1), determine the main idea and
explain how details support the main idea (RI.K–3.2), and describe the relationship between ideas
(RI.K–3.3). They learned to determine the meaning of domain-specific words or phrases in grade-level
texts (RI.K–3.4), use text features and search tools to locate information (RI.K–3.5), distinguish their
own point of view from that of the author (RI.K–3.6), use information gained from illustrations and
words to demonstrate understanding of the text (RI.K–3.7), describe the logical connection between
particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a
sequence) (RI.K–3.8), and compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented
in two texts on the same topic (RI.K–3.9). They learned to comprehend informational texts at the
high end of the text complexity band for grades two through three independently and proficiently
(RI.K–3.10).
In addition, prior to entering grade four, students learned to write informative/explanatory texts,
introducing the topic, grouping related information, including illustrations, developing the topic, using
linking words, and providing a concluding statement or section (W.K–3.2) and they planned and
delivered an informative/explanatory presentation on a topic, organizing ideas around major points
of information, following a logical sequence, including supporting details, using clear and specific
vocabulary and providing a strong conclusion (SL.K–3.4).
Students continue to develop the skills they learned in prior grades and they employ them with
increasingly sophisticated texts and tasks. New to the fourth- and fifth-grade span in terms of learning
with informational text are the following:
- Referring to details and examples in a text, and quoting the text accurately in grade five, when
explaining what it says explicitly and when drawing inferences (RI.4–5.1) - Summarizing text (RI.4–5.2)
- Explaining the content of text (RI.4–5.3)
- Describing the overall structure of different types of texts or part of a texts and in grade five
comparing and contrasting different texts (RI.4–5.5) - Comparing and contrasting firsthand and secondhand accounts, and in grade five multiple
accounts, of the same event or topic (RI.4–5.6) - Interpreting and drawing on information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively and
explaining how they contribute to meaning (RI.4–5.7) - Explaining an author’s use of reasons and evidence to support particular points conveyed in text
(RI.4–5.8)
It is crucial that students engage
with text—both as readers
and writers—as they develop
knowledge in the subject areas.
Texts are used alongside other
sources of knowledge: inquiry
and hands-on experiences,
teacher presentations and
demonstrations, class discussions,
and audio and visual media.Grades 4 and 5 Chapter 5 | 415