CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.10

ELA2nd GradeRange of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

The Standard

By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2—3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

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

What This Standard Means

Students need to read nonfiction books and articles about topics like animals, weather, inventions, maps, rules, and historical people. They should use headings, captions, diagrams, glossaries, and bold words to help make meaning. They also need to explain the main idea, key details, and new facts without relying only on pictures.

Mastery looks like a student reading a grade-level nonfiction text and telling what it teaches, using details from the page. Students often get stuck on topic-specific vocabulary, dense paragraphs, and diagrams that carry information. Higher-level texts may still need teacher support, partner reading, or chunking.

Ways to Teach It

Hands-on activity: Give pairs a nonfiction book and sticky notes to label the heading, caption, diagram, glossary, main idea, and two key details.
Prompt: After reading a short article, have students write, “This text teaches me ___, and I know because ___.”
Quick assessment: Hand students a one-page nonfiction passage and ask them to circle the main idea sentence and underline three supporting details.
Real-world connection: Read a simple recipe, class schedule, or animal care sheet and ask students what information they need to use it correctly.