Reading Comprehension: Informational Texts
The Spark
Concept
Strategic readers use a toolkit of comprehension strategies: skimming (reading quickly to get the gist), scanning (searching for specific information), summarising (capturing the main idea in your own words), and evaluating (judging the author's purpose, reliability and point of view).
Activity
Open a non-fiction article together. Ask your child to skim-read for 30 seconds and then tell you the main topic without looking back. Then ask them to scan for one specific fact — such as a date or name — as fast as they can.
Check
After the worksheet, ask your child to apply all four strategies to one article from ABC Education or a library book, and explain what each strategy helped them understand.
Match the Reading Strategy to Its Purpose
Draw a line to match each reading strategy with the situation where a reader would use it.
Skim and Summarise: The Great Barrier Reef
Skim the passage quickly (30 seconds). Then read it carefully. Write a three-sentence summary in your own words.
PASSAGE: The Great Barrier Reef stretches over 2,300 kilometres along the Queensland coast, making it the world's largest coral reef system. It is home to more than 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 types of mollusc and over 30 species of whale and dolphin. Despite its scale, the reef is under serious threat. Rising sea temperatures caused by climate change have led to mass coral bleaching events — most recently in 2016, 2017 and 2020. When corals bleach, they expel the algae that give them colour and nutrients. Without intervention, large sections of the reef could be permanently damaged within decades. My three-sentence summary:
Scan for Specific Information
Scan the passage above to find the answers as quickly as possible. Move your eyes to find the specific information — do not re-read the whole text.
How many species of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef?
In which years did mass coral bleaching events occur?
How long is the Great Barrier Reef?
What do corals expel during bleaching?
Evaluate the Author's Purpose
Answer these questions about the author's purpose and point of view in the Great Barrier Reef passage.
What is the author's main purpose: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain? Explain.
Does the author have a point of view on the issue? What language choices reveal this?
Is this text reliable? What would you check to verify the facts?
Order the Research Process
Number these research steps 1 to 6 in the most logical order.
Practise Skimming
Skim the passage below for 45 seconds. Then cover it and answer the questions from memory.
PASSAGE: Australia's Indigenous people have the oldest continuous culture in the world, dating back more than 60,000 years. Across this vast continent, over 500 distinct language groups exist, each with unique stories, traditions and knowledge systems. Indigenous Australians developed sophisticated methods for land management, including cultural burning — a practice of controlled burning that reduces the risk of catastrophic bushfires and promotes the growth of certain native plants. These practices are increasingly recognised by land managers and scientists as having modern environmental applications. Q1: What is the main topic of this passage?
Q2: What is one specific fact you remember from your skim?
Q3: What do you think the author's purpose is?
Practise Scanning
Scan the passage above to find specific information as quickly as possible.
How many distinct language groups exist across Australia?
How many years does Indigenous Australian culture date back?
What is cultural burning?
What benefit does cultural burning provide?
Match the Text Feature to Its Purpose
Match each informational text feature to its purpose for the reader.
Using Text Features
Imagine you are reading a non-fiction book about climate change. Explain which text feature you would use to find each piece of information, and why.
You want to know whether the book covers carbon emissions. Text feature you would use and why:
You want to find the definition of 'greenhouse gas'. Text feature you would use and why:
You want to quickly find every page that mentions the Great Barrier Reef. Text feature you would use and why:
Author Purpose: Identify and Justify
Read each description of a text and identify the author's most likely purpose. Justify your answer with evidence from the description.
TEXT A: 'How to care for a native garden: a step-by-step guide from the Australian Native Plants Society.' Author's purpose and justification:
TEXT B: 'Why the government must act now to save the Murray-Darling River system' — an opinion piece by an environmental scientist. Author's purpose and justification:
TEXT C: 'A history of Australian explorers: the journeys, discoveries and hardships of those who mapped a continent' — a history reference book. Author's purpose and justification:
Sort by Author Purpose
Sort each text description by the author's primary purpose.
Close Reading: Word Choice
Read the sentence below. Identify two or three key word choices and explain what each one communicates about the author's perspective.
SENTENCE: 'Despite decades of urgent warnings from scientists, governments around the world have failed to take meaningful action to halt the catastrophic destruction of the world's remaining rainforests.' Key word 1 and what it communicates about the author's perspective:
Key word 2 and what it communicates:
Key word 3 and what it communicates:
Write a Three-Sentence Summary
Read this short passage about bees. Write a three-sentence summary in your own words. Focus on the most important ideas.
PASSAGE: Bees are among the most important animals on Earth. As they fly from flower to flower collecting nectar and pollen, they transfer pollen between plants — a process called pollination. Without pollination, many of the foods we eat could not be produced. Approximately one third of all food consumed globally depends on bee pollination. Alarmingly, global bee populations have declined by between 10% and 40% in some species over the past decade. Threats include habitat loss, pesticide use, disease and climate change. Scientists and farmers are increasingly working together to protect bee populations through wildflower planting, reducing pesticide use and creating protected habitats. My three-sentence summary:
Scan for Specific Information: Bees
Scan the bee passage above to answer these questions as quickly as possible.
What fraction of global food depends on bee pollination?
By how much have some bee populations declined?
Name three threats to bee populations.
What is one action scientists and farmers are taking to help bees?
Evaluate the Bee Passage
Evaluate the bee passage using the four key questions.
Q1: Who likely wrote this type of text and for what purpose?
Q2: Is the information presented as fact, opinion or a mix? Give an example.
Q3: What additional information would you want to know to fully understand this topic?
Q4: What sources would you consult to check the accuracy of the facts presented?
Make an Inference
An inference is a conclusion you reach based on evidence in the text and your own reasoning — not something stated directly.
FROM THE BEE PASSAGE: 'Approximately one third of all food consumed globally depends on bee pollination.' INFERENCE: What does this suggest could happen to the global food supply if bee populations collapse?
FROM THE REEF PASSAGE (Activity 4): 'Without intervention, large sections of the reef could be permanently damaged within decades.' INFERENCE: What does the word 'permanently' suggest about the urgency of the problem?
Fact, Inference or Opinion?
Sort each statement into the correct category.
Read an Informational Text: Water Scarcity
Read the passage carefully, then answer the comprehension questions.
PASSAGE: Water covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface, yet less than 3% of it is fresh water, and most of that is locked in ice caps and glaciers. Only about 0.3% of all water on Earth is accessible for human use — in lakes, rivers and underground aquifers. As the global population grows and climate change alters rainfall patterns, the demand for clean water is increasing while supply in many regions is declining. The United Nations predicts that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population could be living under conditions of water stress. In Australia, many rural and remote communities already struggle with water security, particularly during drought years. Q1: What is the main topic of this passage?
Q2: What is one statistic that surprised you? Why?
Q3: What is the author's purpose?
Q4: Write a two-sentence summary of the passage in your own words.
Scan for Specific Information: Water Scarcity
Scan the water scarcity passage to find the answers quickly.
What percentage of Earth's surface is covered by water?
What percentage of all water on Earth is accessible for human use?
By what year does the UN predict water stress will affect two-thirds of the world's population?
Which group in Australia is specifically mentioned as struggling with water security?
Close Reading: Key Vocabulary
The water scarcity passage uses several important technical and academic terms. For each word below, use context clues from the passage to work out its meaning.
The word 'aquifers' — from the sentence 'in lakes, rivers and underground aquifers'. What do aquifers most likely mean?
The phrase 'water stress' — from the sentence 'two-thirds of the world's population could be living under conditions of water stress'. What does this phrase most likely mean?
The word 'accessible' — from the sentence 'only about 0.3% of all water on Earth is accessible for human use'. What does accessible mean here?
Summarising in Your Own Words: Water Scarcity
Write a one-paragraph summary of the water scarcity passage using only your own words. Do not look at the passage — work from memory.
My summary (from memory):
Match the Comprehension Skill to Its Example
Match each comprehension skill to the activity that demonstrates it.
Literal or Inferred?
Decide whether each answer comes directly from the text (literal) or requires reasoning beyond the text (inferred).
Q: What percentage of Earth's surface is covered by water? A: 71%.
Q: If water scarcity continues to worsen, which Australian industries will be most affected? (This question is NOT answered in the text.)
Q: How do altering rainfall patterns caused by climate change affect water availability? A: They cause water supply to decline in many regions.
Q: If Australia already faces water security issues, what might this mean for future food production in rural areas?
Generate Questions About a Text
Good readers generate their own questions before, during and after reading. Read the passage title and first sentence below, then write five questions you would like answered by the full text.
TEXT TITLE AND OPENING: 'The Plastics Problem: Why Our Oceans Are in Crisis. Every year, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the world's oceans. Unlike most materials, plastics do not biodegrade — they simply break down into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics…' My five questions:
Read and Apply All Four Strategies
Read this passage about Indigenous Australian cultural burning practices. Apply all four reading strategies: skim, scan, summarise and evaluate.
PASSAGE: For tens of thousands of years, Aboriginal Australians have used controlled, low-intensity fire to manage Country. This practice, known as cultural burning, is fundamentally different from the high-intensity bushfires that devastate large areas of land. Cultural burning promotes the growth of native plants, creates habitat for animals, clears dry undergrowth that could fuel larger fires, and maintains the health of the landscape. In recent decades, land managers and governments have begun working with Indigenous communities to incorporate cultural burning into modern fire management strategies. The 2019–2020 Black Summer bushfires renewed urgent interest in these practices, as many areas that had been subject to cultural burning experienced less severe fire impacts than those that had not. SKIM RESULT — main topic (write in one sentence):
SCAN — find and write: In which years did the Black Summer bushfires occur?
SUMMARY — three sentences in your own words:
EVALUATE — Who likely wrote this text? What is their purpose? Is it reliable? What would you check?
Connect the Text to Your Knowledge
Good readers connect new information to what they already know. Answer these connection questions about the cultural burning passage.
TEXT-TO-SELF: What do you already know about bushfires or land management that connects to this passage?
TEXT-TO-WORLD: How does this passage connect to anything you know about Indigenous Australian culture or environmental issues?
TEXT-TO-TEXT: How does this passage connect to anything else you have read or learned recently?
Read and Annotate
Read the passage below and annotate it as you read. Use these symbols: * for important information, ? for something you do not understand, ! for something that surprises you, + for information you could connect to something you already know.
PASSAGE: The platypus is one of only five surviving species of monotreme — mammals that lay eggs rather than giving birth to live young. Found only in eastern Australia, the platypus leads a semi-aquatic life in freshwater rivers and streams. It uses electroreception — the ability to detect the electric fields generated by the muscle contractions of its prey — to hunt underwater, making it one of very few mammals to use this sense. The male platypus also has venomous spurs on its hind legs. Until European scientists first encountered the platypus in 1799, they initially believed it was a hoax — a duck's bill and feet sewn onto a beaver-like body. Describe your three most interesting annotations and what they tell you about your reading:
Inferences: The Platypus Passage
Answer these inference questions about the platypus passage.
INFERENCE Q1: The passage says European scientists believed the platypus was 'a hoax — a duck's bill and feet sewn onto a beaver-like body.' What does this tell you about what scientists expected animals to look like?
INFERENCE Q2: The male platypus has venomous spurs. What might this tell you about how the platypus survived evolution?
Vocabulary in Context: The Platypus Passage
Use the context of the platypus passage to work out the meaning of each term.
The word 'monotreme' — what does it most likely describe?
The phrase 'semi-aquatic' — what do you think this means?
The word 'electroreception' — what does it describe and how did you work this out?
Write Your Own Comprehension Questions
Write three comprehension questions about the platypus passage — one literal, one inference and one evaluation question.
LITERAL question (answer is directly in the text):
INFERENCE question (answer requires reasoning from the text):
EVALUATION question (answer requires judging the text's content, purpose or reliability):
Read for Bias
Read this passage extract and identify any signs of bias — language choices, omissions or framing that suggest the author has a particular viewpoint.
EXTRACT: 'Proposed changes to Australia's forestry laws would devastate regional communities that depend on logging for their livelihoods. Thousands of hardworking families would lose their jobs, all for the sake of a handful of city-based environmental activists who have never set foot in a forest. The logging industry has operated sustainably in Australian forests for over a century.' Q1: What is the author's viewpoint on the proposed changes?
Q2: Identify two specific words or phrases that reveal bias. Explain what each one communicates.
Q3: What important perspective is not represented in this extract?
Identify and Challenge Assumptions
Every informational text makes assumptions about what the reader already knows or believes. Read this extract and identify two assumptions the author is making.
EXTRACT: 'As every educated Australian knows, reducing our carbon emissions is the most important environmental priority of the next decade. The science is settled — economic growth and environmental responsibility are not in conflict, and businesses that fail to adapt to this reality will be left behind.' ASSUMPTION 1 the author makes:
ASSUMPTION 2 the author makes:
Why is it important to identify these assumptions rather than accepting them?
Compare Two Perspectives on the Same Topic
Read these two extracts about the same topic. Identify how they differ and what perspective each author holds.
EXTRACT A: 'The decision to expand the Adani coal mine in Queensland is a positive development for regional employment and energy security. Thousands of local jobs will be created, providing economic opportunity for communities that have struggled with high unemployment for decades.' EXTRACT B: 'The expansion of the Adani coal mine represents a catastrophic environmental decision. At a time when the world must rapidly decarbonise to limit catastrophic climate change, investing in new coal infrastructure is economically irrational and morally indefensible.' Q1: What viewpoint does Extract A represent?
Q2: What viewpoint does Extract B represent?
Q3: What evidence would you need to make a truly informed view on this issue?
Research a Topic: Three Sources
Choose a topic from your curriculum. Find information from three different sources. Complete the comparison table below.
My topic:
SOURCE 1 — title, type and author/publisher:
Source 1 — key information:
SOURCE 2 — title, type and author/publisher:
Source 2 — key information:
SOURCE 3 — title, type and author/publisher:
Source 3 — key information:
Key agreements and disagreements between the sources:
Order the Research Process
Number these steps from 1 (first) to 6 (last) to show the most logical order for researching a topic.
Take Notes Using a T-Chart
A T-chart helps organise information into two categories. Use the T-chart below to note information from any informational text you read this week — sorting information into FACTS (verifiable) and QUESTIONS (things you want to know more about).
Text I am reading:
FACTS (things I have learned):
QUESTIONS (things I want to know more about):
Write a Summary: In Three Different Lengths
Read the cultural burning passage from Activity 41 again. Write three summaries of different lengths: a 10-word summary, a 30-word summary and a 60-word summary.
10-WORD SUMMARY (the single most important idea):
30-WORD SUMMARY (the main idea + one key supporting point):
60-WORD SUMMARY (main idea + key supporting points + one specific detail):
Comprehension Deep Dive: Australia's Biodiversity
Read the passage and apply all comprehension strategies: literal comprehension, inference, vocabulary in context, evaluation and summarising.
PASSAGE: Australia is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries — nations that contain extraordinarily high levels of biodiversity. The continent has been isolated from other landmasses for approximately 45 million years, allowing unique species to evolve in isolation. As a result, around 84% of Australia's mammals, 93% of reptiles and 45% of birds are found nowhere else on Earth. This phenomenon — species found only in one place — is called endemism. However, Australia also has one of the highest rates of animal and plant extinction in the developed world, driven by habitat destruction, invasive species and climate change. Since European settlement, over 100 species of Australian plants and animals have become extinct. LITERAL: What percentage of Australian mammals are found nowhere else on Earth?
VOCABULARY: What does 'endemism' mean based on the passage?
INFERENCE: Why might isolation from other landmasses for millions of years lead to unique species developing?
EVALUATE: What is the author's purpose? Is there evidence of a viewpoint?
SUMMARISE: Write a two-sentence summary in your own words:
Generate Research Questions
Based on what you read about Australia's biodiversity, write five research questions you would like to investigate further.
My five research questions:
Sort the Comprehension Activities by Depth
Sort these comprehension activities from Surface (basic recall) to Deep (complex analysis).
Read and Evaluate a News Article
Read a news article from ABC News, the Guardian or any quality news source with your parent's help. Evaluate it using the critical reading questions below.
Article title and source:
Q1: What is the main news story in three sentences?
Q2: What evidence or sources are cited in the article?
Q3: Is the article balanced (presenting multiple perspectives) or one-sided?
Q4: What questions do you have after reading that the article did not answer?
Home Activity: The Smart Reader's Weekly Practice
Apply these activities across one week of regular reading to build your comprehension strategy toolkit.
- 1MONDAY — SKIM: Pick up any non-fiction book or magazine. Skim two pages in 60 seconds. Then tell someone what the passage is mainly about without looking back.
- 2TUESDAY — SCAN: Find a news article online. Set a timer for 30 seconds. Scan for three specific facts: a name, a date and a number.
- 3WEDNESDAY — SUMMARISE: Read any article or encyclopedia entry. Close the book or screen. Write a summary in exactly three sentences from memory.
- 4THURSDAY — EVALUATE: Read any informational text. Ask: Who wrote this? When? Why? Is it reliable? How do I know?
- 5FRIDAY — INFER: Find a headline from a news article without reading the full story. Write three things you can infer might be in the full article, based on the headline alone. Then read the article and check.
Extension: Critical Reading of a Long Text
Choose a chapter from a non-fiction library book on any topic. Read it carefully, then write a critical analysis including: main idea, key evidence, author purpose, at least one inference and one evaluation of the text's reliability.
Book title, chapter and author:
My critical analysis:
Comprehension Self-Assessment
Look back over your work in this worksheet and assess your own progress as a reader.
Q1: Which comprehension strategy do you find most natural and easy? Why?
Q2: Which strategy is most challenging for you? What makes it difficult?
Q3: Which activity in this worksheet challenged you the most and why?
Read for a Purpose
Choose an informational text on a topic you are currently studying. Read it for a specific purpose — choose one: to find evidence for an argument, to answer a specific question, or to compare with another source.
Text I am reading and my purpose:
What I found that serves my purpose:
How this information connects to what I am studying:
Identify Claim, Evidence and Explanation
Read this extract. Identify the claim, the evidence and the explanation.
EXTRACT: 'Regular physical activity is essential for children's mental health. Research from the University of Melbourne found that students who engaged in 60 minutes of moderate exercise five times per week reported significantly lower levels of anxiety and depression. This is because exercise releases endorphins — natural mood-elevating chemicals — and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.' CLAIM (the main assertion):
EVIDENCE (the specific research or data):
EXPLANATION (why the evidence supports the claim):
Sort: Main Idea or Supporting Detail?
Sort each sentence into Main idea (the central point of the whole text) or Supporting detail (evidence or example that supports the main idea) for a text about climate change.
Extension: Comprehension of a Complex Text
Find and read a longer informational article — at least 500 words — on any topic from science, history or current events. Apply all the comprehension strategies and write a full critical reading response.
Article title, source and date:
SKIM RESULT — main topic in one sentence:
SCAN — three specific facts found:
SUMMARY — three sentences in my own words:
INFERENCE — something implied but not stated:
EVALUATE — purpose, reliability, bias:
Teach Back: Comprehension Strategies
Explain the five comprehension strategies (skimming, scanning, summarising, evaluating and inferencing) to a parent or younger sibling. Give one example of each and describe when you would use it.
My explanation of the five strategies:
Your Best Comprehension Response
Read a passage of your choice — from a library book, encyclopaedia or quality news website — and write your best, most complete comprehension response. Apply all five strategies and demonstrate everything you have learned in this worksheet.
Text I chose and why:
My complete comprehension response:
Design a Comprehension Toolkit Card
Design a 'Comprehension Toolkit Card' — a small reference card that lists the five reading strategies, when to use each one and one practical tip for applying each. Keep it as a reference for future reading.
My Comprehension Toolkit Card (design it clearly and neatly here):
Sort the Reading Activities by Strategy Used
Sort each reading activity by the primary strategy it requires.
Reflection: How Has Your Reading Changed?
Look back at where you started this worksheet and where you are now as a reader.
Q1: Before this worksheet, how did you read an informational text?
Q2: What do you do differently now when you read non-fiction?
Q3: Which strategy will be most useful to you this year and beyond? Why?
Create a Reading Journal Entry
Write a reading journal entry about any informational text you have read recently. Include your reactions, what you learned, any inferences you made and one question you would like to research further.
My reading journal entry:
Apply Comprehension Strategies Independently
Choose an informational text on any topic from your curriculum. Without any guidance, apply all five comprehension strategies independently and record your results.
Text I chose:
SKIM — main topic:
SCAN — three specific facts:
SUMMARISE — two sentences in my own words:
INFER — one conclusion reasoned from the text:
EVALUATE — purpose and reliability:
Home Activity: Build a Reading Life
Reading comprehension grows through regular, wide, varied reading. Use these suggestions to build a rich reading life beyond the worksheet.
- 1Visit your local library and borrow one non-fiction book in a subject area you are curious about. Read at least one chapter this week.
- 2Subscribe to a free children's news service such as ABC's Behind the News or First News (UK). Read one article per week and apply one comprehension strategy to it.
- 3Start a reading journal. After reading any informational text, write three sentences: what I learned, one question I now have, and one connection to something I already knew.
- 4Choose a topic you are passionate about and spend 20 minutes researching it from at least two different sources. Compare what each source says.
- 5Share one interesting fact you have read this week at the dinner table. Explain where you read it and why you found it interesting.
What Kind of Reader Do You Want to Be?
Write a personal reading goal for the rest of this year. What do you want to read more of? What comprehension skills do you want to develop? How will you challenge yourself as a reader?
My personal reading goal for this year:
Your Strongest Comprehension Demonstration
Write your best, most complete response to a passage of your choice. Demonstrate everything you have learned in this worksheet — all five strategies, critical thinking and sophisticated vocabulary.
Text I chose:
My comprehensive response:
Final Reflection: The Reader You Have Become
Write a final reflection on your journey through this worksheet.
Q1: What is the most valuable comprehension skill you have developed and why?
Q2: How has your approach to reading informational texts changed?
Q3: Where will you use these skills outside of English lessons?