Virginia SOL 2.RI.1.A
The Standard
Ask and answer literal and inferential questions (who, what, where, when, how, and why) about key details in a text.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Key Ideas and Confirming Details
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students form questions about the main information in a nonfiction text. They find direct answers and combine text clues with what they know to figure out unstated answers.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students create and answer clear questions about the people, events, places, times, reasons, and processes in a short nonfiction text. They use exact facts for direct answers and relevant clues for inferred answers.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may answer from the picture or prior knowledge instead of using the passage. They may copy a fact when the question requires an inference, or give a guess without naming clues.
How to Assess It
- After a short nonfiction passage, ask: “Write one fact the author states. Then write one idea you figured out and list two clues that helped you.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips from an animal article to sort into “stated” and “figured out,” then match each answer to supporting clues.
Read a page about thunderstorms, then discuss: “Why do people go indoors during a storm, and which details support your answer?”
Play Question Cube: students roll who, what, where, when, how, or why, ask about an article, and a partner answers with evidence.
Study a school lunch menu and schedule, then answer where, when, and why questions using printed details and reasonable clues.
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Printable 2.RI.1.A Worksheet

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.RI.1.A, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 1.RL.1.C
Ask and answer literal (who, what, when, where) or inferential (how, why) questions about what is read.
- 2.RI.1.B
Retell key details of texts that demonstrate an understanding of the main topics of texts.
- K.RI.1.A
With prompting and support, ask and answer literal (who, what, when, where) or inferential (why, how) questions about what is read
- 1.RI.1.A
Ask and answer literal (who, what, when, where) and inferential (why, how) questions about what is read, including demonstrating an understanding of the main to...
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