High-Quality Informational Texts

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

Your child is encouraged to read works of literature joyfully, yet skillfully. Strategies and methods will be taught to your child in order for them to monitor their comprehension as they read independently, at home and in school. As the school year progresses, we will turn our attention to reading and analyzing informational or nonfiction texts. Anticipation guides, previewing strategies, and a KWL organizer (what I know after previewing, what I want to find out, what I learned) will assist students in reading informational texts strategically, with meaning, and with purpose. The 7th grade students will continue to hone their skills of working with informational texts throughout the year whether it be in their Language Arts, Science, or Social Studies classes. As your child moves beyond 7th grade, you’ll see that the demand for reading informational texts will increase both inside and outside of the Language Arts classroom. In fact, by the time your child reaches 12th grade, 70% of material read will be in the form of informational texts. Thus, to better prepare your child for this increased demand, I compiled a list of websites that offer high-quality, student-friendly, informational text articles. Access these websites for current event articles or refer to them when conducting research. It is advised that you peruse the websites with your child in order to determine which site(s) would best be suitable for your child in terms of text difficulty and subject matter.