CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.4

ELA1st GradeCraft and Structure

The Standard

Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text

What This Standard Means

Students need to notice when a word or phrase in an informational book does not make sense, then ask a clear question about it. They should use pictures, nearby words, headings, and teacher or peer talk to figure out what it probably means.

Mastery looks like a first grader saying, “What does habitat mean?” then using the page about where frogs live to explain it. Students often get stuck by skipping hard words, guessing from one picture only, or repeating the sentence without explaining the word in their own words.

Ways to Teach It

Give pairs a nonfiction page, sticky notes, and highlighters, then have them mark one confusing word and one clue that helps explain it.
Ask, “What word on this page would you ask the author about, and what clues can help us figure it out?”
Read one short paragraph aloud, stop at a target word, and have students draw or say what they think it means and why.
Use a lunch menu, weather report, or zoo sign to find one tricky word and ask what clue helps explain it.