RI.3.1 — Ask and Answer Questions About Informational Text

RI.3.1CCSSGrade 3English Language ArtsReading: Informational Text
The standard

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

What students need to learn

Ask relevant questions about the text

Foundational

Students generate questions before, during, and after reading to focus attention on important ideas and details. These questions should connect to who, what, where, when, why, and how in an informational text.

Teaching strategies
Use question stems
Pause for turn-and-talk questions
Model think-aloud questioning

Answer questions to show understanding

Core

Students respond to questions in ways that show they understand the main ideas and supporting details of the text. Answers should be complete enough to reflect comprehension, not just guesses or opinions.

Teaching strategies
Ask text-dependent questions
Use oral and written responses
Practice complete-sentence answers

Refer explicitly to the text

Core

Students point directly to words, phrases, sentences, or parts of the passage that support their answers. This means they use the text itself as evidence rather than relying only on background knowledge.

Teaching strategies
Highlight evidence in the passage
Cite page or paragraph locations
Use sentence frames for evidence

Use text evidence as the basis for answers

Core

Students learn that strong answers are grounded in what the author states in the text. They connect their response to specific information from the passage to justify their thinking.

Teaching strategies
Require proof from the text
Annotate key details
Compare strong and weak answers
Student-friendly “I can” statement

I can ask and answer questions about an informational text and use details from the text to prove my answers.

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