Informational text accounts for the majority of all reading in middle and high school
As students grow up, they spend less time in school reading fiction and more time reading informational texts. Otherwise known as nonfiction, examples of informational texts in school include
- Scientific articles
- Primary and secondary history sources
- Encyclopedia articles
- News Articles
- Reports
- Biographies
So, what exactly is informational text, and why is it so important for middle and high school students to study? This blog will break it down and offer insights into the significance of informational text, tips for teaching it effectively, and examples you can use in your classroom.
What Is Informational Text?
Informational text refers to non-fiction writing designed to inform or explain something to the reader. Unlike narrative texts, which tell stories, informational texts present facts, data, and explanations. These texts include formats such as ELA news articles, scientific journals, instructional manuals, biographies, and newspaper reports.
The primary goal of informational text is to educate and provide readers with a deeper understanding of a specific topic. For example, current events for students use informational text formats to explain modern global issues, breaking them down into understandable pieces.
Why Is It Important to Study Informational Text in Middle and High School?
Middle and high school is a time when students dive deeper into the content areas that were casually covered in elementary school. “Social studies” becomes history, civics, economics, and geography courses, while “science” becomes biology, chemistry, and physics.
Understanding and analyzing informational texts prepares students for the real world and helps them develop greater content-area knowledge. Whether students are interpreting newspaper headlines or reading a scientific journal, informational text comprehension skills are essential for success.
Why Does Teaching Informational Text Matter?
Critical Thinking Skills
Informational texts challenge students to assess sources, evaluate arguments, and synthesize information — skills that translate across all subjects.
Building Foundational Knowledge for More Complex Subjects
Whether students are in science, history, or ELA courses, the ability to navigate informative reading is a universal academic skill that will prepare students for college or trade programs.
Engagement with the World
By exploring current events for students, they connect classroom learning to real-world issues, building informed and empathetic perspectives.
Standards Alignment
Teaching informational text is a key component of every state’s ELA standards, making it a critical area of focus for educators. Try these tips for teaching nonfiction ELA standards.
Examples of Informational Text
Wondering where to find high-quality informational texts for students? Here are some examples:
- ELA News Articles: The Juice’s current events for students are perfect for exploring real-world topics like climate change, politics, or technology advancements.
- Science Reports: Documents that break down research findings or explain phenomena.
- Biographies: Stories of influential figures that inspire and educate.
- How-To Guides: Step-by-step instructions for practical tasks.
Tips for Teaching Informational Text
Teaching informational text can be highly rewarding, especially when you incorporate engaging resources like current events for students or ELA news articles.
Use Current Events to Make It Relevant
While there are many types of informational texts, students are naturally curious about current events in particular. Use current event lesson plans to tie modern issues to classroom content. When teaching multiple informational texts, start with the one most relevant to your student’s lives for optimal engagement.
Focus on Informational Text Structure
Teach students to recognize features like headings, subheadings, and bullet points to navigate nonfiction texts effectively. Help them understand what category of informational text they’re looking at before they start reading.
Incorporate Visuals
Many informational texts include graphs, charts, and images. Encourage students to analyze these alongside the text to deepen understanding. The Juice includes one article every day that incorporates infographics, helping students practice data analytics skills alongside nonfiction comprehension.
Leverage Technology
Digital resources like our informational text lesson plans and interactive platform offer dynamic ways to engage students with nonfiction texts.
Scaffold Learning and Track Formative Assessment Data
Use formative assessment tools to track progress on informational text ELA standards. When gaps appear in nonfiction text skills, provide targeted support. With The Juice, this includes highlighting key vocabulary, chunking the informational text, or using our read-aloud mode on ELA news articles.
How to Engage Students with Informational Text
To keep students motivated, it’s essential to make informational text lessons interactive and relatable.
Make The Informational Text Accessible
Informational texts, graphics, and text features should be understandable. The text should be at their reading level, legible, and, when graphics are involved) in full color.
For example, if students are reading the Declaration of Independence for a history class, translate the cursive into plain text. When teaching informational texts from The Juice, assign articles at students’ individual reading levels and enable support features for striving readers.
Group Projects
Assign small groups to explore scientific articles, biographies, or current events for students and present their findings. Working in a group can spread out the work of deciphering a dense informational text and students can pull from each other’s background knowledge to put the information in context.
Debates
Use a current events lesson plan template to pair opposing informational texts and spark classroom discussions. Teachers can do this with any type of informational text, but it works especially well with current events for students.
Facilitating classroom discussions about current events can be daunting, but by keeping an open mind and following expert advice, students will reap the benefits of voicing their thoughts.
Multimedia Integration
Combine texts with videos, infographics, or podcasts for a multi-dimensional learning experience. Incorporating other media helps to anchor information from nonfiction texts for visual and auditory learners.
Teaching Informational Text to ESL Students
For English Language Learners, informational text can be both a challenge and an opportunity. The Juice provides leveled news for ESL students that supports vocabulary development and cultural understanding.
Tips for ESL Instruction:
Provide Translations – Use multilingual resources to help students bridge language gaps.
Highlight Key Vocabulary – Focus on words that are central to the text’s meaning.
Use Read-Alouds – Pair articles with audio versions to build listening and comprehension skills.
How to Create an Informational Text Lesson Plan with Current Events
Using a structured current event lesson plan makes it easier to teach informational text.
Example Template:
- Warm-Up Activity: Discuss a relevant topic using teaching newspaper headlines to spark curiosity.
- Guided Reading: Assign a leveled article from news for ESL students or ELA news articles.
- Analysis: Students identify the main idea, analyze structure, and connect the text to other sources.
- Group Discussion: Facilitate a debate or collaborative project.
- Assessment: Use formative assessment tools to gauge understanding and track growth.
Informational Texts Support Lifelong Learning
Whether students are reading ELA news articles, exploring biographical informational texts, or engaging with primary sources, these skills prepare them for academic success and informed citizenship.
By integrating strategies that engage, challenge, and support students, teachers can make informational texts accessible and meaningful for all learners. Start incorporating modern informational texts and current events for students today to transform your classroom into a hub of curiosity and critical thinking.
