Ten Engaging Activities to Teach Informational Text for 3rd Grade Students
Reading comprehension skills are critical for academic success, and for students, this involves mastering informational text. However, teaching informational text skills can be challenging, especially for third graders. They need interactive and engaging activities to help them understand the texts and improve their reading skills. In this article, we explore 10 educational and fun activities that will help third-grade students learn to love informational texts.
1. Create a KWL Chart
A KWL chart helps to activate students’ prior knowledge and encourages critical thinking skills. Start by encouraging students to list everything they ‘Know’ about the topic. Then, write the ‘W’ column and ask what they ‘Want to know’ about the topic. Finally, after reading the text, ask students to fill the ‘L’ column to write down what they have ‘Learned’ about the topic. This activity will help students to retain information better and boost their enthusiasm for informational texts.
2. Word Walls
Word walls help students access and retain new vocabulary and concepts. Choose the most common words from the text, and write them on the word wall in the classroom. This activity will help the students remember the new words and concepts they learned in the text.
3. Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers help students to organize their ideas visually. Use graphic organizers to help students map the central ideas of the text, draw conclusions, and find supporting details.
4. Scientific Diagrams
For scientific or informational text related to science, provide diagrams or illustrations to help students visualize the scientific concepts. Encourage students to draw or create their own diagrams, and it will help them understand the content more effectively.
5. Assemble a Textbook
Students can create their own books based on the text they are reading. This activity is great for encouraging students to pay attention to details and to grasp the central ideas. The students can find suitable images for the text, organize the content, and even create a cover page for the book.
6. Summarize the Text
The ability to summarize the text helps the students to identify the essential ideas in the text. Have the students read the text and summarize it using just one or two sentences. This activity will help the students to focus on the central ideas and shorten the time for their comprehension.
7. Use Multimedia tools
Engage students with videos, podcasts, or images that complement the text. These tools will help the students understand the content more effectively and reinforce what they learn.
8. Role Play
Assign each student a role related to the informational text, and have them act it out. For example, if the text is related to historical events, they can play the role of a historical figure and act out key events. This activity will help students to understand and remember the content better.
9. Compare and Contrast
Have the students compare and contrast different information texts on the same topic. This activity helps the students improve their skills in identifying the similarities and differences between texts and helps them to work on their analytical and critical thinking skills.
10. Class Discussion
Finally, encourage classroom discussions on the central ideas of the text. This discussion will give the opportunity to hear everyone’s thoughts and will help the students to develop their communication and analytical skills.
In conclusion, teaching informational text skills to third-grade students can be a fun and engaging activity. With the right activities in the classroom, students can learn how to read, comprehend and appreciate informational texts. The 10 activities outlined above are just a few ways to make this process enjoyable and interactive, while also building essential skills for future academic success.
