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Reading Grade 1 Information Texts

A 40-minute Grade 1 lesson on reading a whole information text at grade level and holding the facts together.

Reading Grade 1 Information Texts is a free 40-minute Grade 1 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.1.10 — read Grade 1 information texts with some help. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Grade 1
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
RI.1.10

Grade 1 · Reading: Informational Text

RI.1.10

With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.

Objective

Students will be able to read a Grade 1 information text with headings and answer questions about its first part, its last part and the whole text.

Students are successful when they can

  • Reads the headings first and says what each section will be about.
  • Gives one fact from the first section ("Hedgehogs have sharp spines") and one from the last ("They sleep all winter").
  • Says the whole text is about hedgehogs and how they live.

What you need

  • The "Hedgehogs" text with three headings (in the Teach section), one copy per child
  • A three-row "one fact per heading" organizer
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — read the headings first

5 min
  1. Show the text with only the headings visible: "What Hedgehogs Look Like," "What Hedgehogs Eat," "Hedgehogs in Winter."
  2. Ask: "What do you think each part will tell us?" Take one guess for each heading.
  3. Say: "Headings are a map. They tell you what is coming before you read."
“Before you read every word, read the headings. They tell you where the text is going.”

Teach — a fact from each section

13 min
  1. Uncover the text. "What Hedgehogs Look Like: A hedgehog is small and round. It has sharp spines on its back. When it is scared, it rolls into a ball." "What Hedgehogs Eat: Hedgehogs eat beetles, worms and slugs. They hunt at night." "Hedgehogs in Winter: In winter, hedgehogs sleep in a nest of leaves. This long sleep is called hibernation. They wake up in spring."
  2. Read the first section aloud. Stop. Ask for one fact. Write it in the first row: "sharp spines on its back."
  3. Read the second section. Stop. Write one fact: "eats beetles, worms and slugs."
  4. Read the third section. Stop at "hibernation." Think aloud: "Long word. Hi-ber-na-tion. The sentence before says a long sleep — so hibernation means a long winter sleep."
  5. Write the third fact: "sleeps all winter in leaves."
  6. Ask: "What is the whole text about?" Fish for "Hedgehogs: what they look like, eat and do in winter." Point out that the headings already told us.
“Stop at the end of each section and say one fact. That way you still have the start when you reach the end.”

Guided practice — one fact per heading

12 min
  1. Give pairs a new text: "Where Squirrels Live: Squirrels live in trees. They build nests called dreys." "What Squirrels Eat: Squirrels eat nuts, seeds and berries." "Getting Ready for Winter: In the fall, squirrels bury nuts. In winter, they dig them up to eat."
  2. Pairs read one section each in turn, stopping after each to write one fact in the organizer.
  3. Then they answer: "What was the first part about? What was the last part about? What was the whole text about?"
  4. Circulate and check they stop after each section. If a pair reads straight through, ask: "What did the first part tell you?"
  5. Share one pair's organizer and read the three facts as a summary.
“Read a section, then stop and tell your partner one fact. Then read the next.”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the fact-text page, reading the whole text and answering questions across it.
  2. Remind them to read the headings first and stop after each section.
  3. Listen to two children read a section and ask them for its fact.

Close

2 min
  1. Ask: "What does hibernation mean, and how did we work it out?"
  2. Fish for "a long winter sleep — the sentence before told us."

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Remembers only the last section: "It was about hedgehogs sleeping."

Why: The last part is freshest in memory, and the effort of reading pushed out the start.

Fix: Stop after each section and record one fact. Before asking what the whole text is about, read back the three facts. The summary must cover all three.

Skips the headings and starts reading the first sentence.

Why: Headings look like titles, and titles have been read to them, not by them. They do not see headings as part of reading.

Fix: Make reading headings first a routine: "Headings first, then words." Ask them to predict from each heading before reading it.

Stops at "hibernation" and gives up on the section.

Why: A long, unfamiliar word looks too hard, and the whole section feels out of reach.

Fix: Clap the parts (hi-ber-na-tion), then read the sentence around it. Show that the text explains many hard words if you keep reading.

If they are not there yet

  • Use a two-section text first, then add the third section.
  • Read the headings aloud for the child and let them predict before reading.
  • Accept a drawing for each fact in the organizer.

If they finish early

  • Write a fourth section with a heading, such as "Hedgehog Babies," using a library book.
  • Say which section was most interesting and which heading you would change.
  • Compare the hedgehog and squirrel texts: what do both animals do in winter?

Exit ticket

Give one fact from the first part of the hedgehog text and one from the last part. What was the whole text about?

What to look for: "Sharp spines," "sleeps all winter," and "hedgehogs and how they live." Only a last-part fact means they need the stop-and-record routine. A summary that names one section means they need to read back all three facts first.

Printable practice for RI.1.10

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Reading Grade 1 Information Texts

How long does the Reading Grade 1 Information Texts lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Reading Grade 1 Information Texts teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.10 — RI.1.10, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 1: “With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.” In plain terms, read Grade 1 information texts with some help.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

The "Hedgehogs" text with three headings (in the Teach section), one copy per child, a three-row "one fact per heading" organizer and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: remembers only the last section: "It was about hedgehogs sleeping."; skips the headings and starts reading the first sentence and stops at "hibernation" and gives up on the section. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Give one fact from the first part of the hedgehog text and one from the last part. What was the whole text about?.” "Sharp spines," "sleeps all winter," and "hedgehogs and how they live." Only a last-part fact means they need the stop-and-record routine. A summary that names one section means they need to read back all three facts first. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Reading Grade 1 Information Texts?

Yes — 1 printable RI.1.10 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Reading Grade 1 Information Texts free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to RI.1.10 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.