CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.8

ELA1st GradeIntegration of Knowledge and Ideas

The Standard

Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

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

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students figure out what an author wants readers to understand or believe. They point to reasons in the text that explain or support that idea.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can state the author’s main point after reading or listening to a short informational text. They can find one or more reasons and explain how each supports that point.
Common Misconceptions: Students may repeat the author’s point instead of naming a reason. They may choose any fact from the text or give their own reason rather than the author’s reason.
How to Assess It: Use this exit ticket: “Recess helps children because exercise keeps bodies healthy and play helps children make friends.” Circle the author’s point and underline two reasons.

Lesson moves

Give pairs sentence strips from a short text, then have them sort each strip under “author’s point” or “supporting reason.”
Read a short animal article and ask, “What does the author want us to think, and what reasons are given?”
Play Reason Match by having students pair point cards with supporting reason cards, then explain each match to a partner.
Examine a school recycling flyer and list the reasons it gives for putting paper and cans in recycling bins.

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