Context: Prior learning
Display a variety of non-chronological ICT-based and paper resources for children to access during independent reading sessions. Familiarise children with the text-type and common language features, building on unit 3 on information texts: the use of contents pages, scanning texts for information and speculation about the usefulness of texts for research.

Note: Children working significantly above or below age-related expectations will need differentiated support, which may include tracking forward or back in terms of learning objectives. EAL learners should be expected to work within the overall expectations for their year group. For further advice see the progression strands and hyperlinks to useful sources of practical support.

Phase 1: Reading; discussion, analysis (5 days)

Teaching content:

• Compare a range of non-chronological texts on a particular theme, for example different habitats or comparisons of houses now and in the past (paper or ICT-based).
• Identify the main text features of a non-chronological report, including grammatical features and key vocabulary. During shared reading, demonstrate how to locate specific information using the contents and index sections (or search engines if using an ICT text).
• Demonstrate how to answer specific questions using the text. Use the non-chronological report comparison grid to evaluate the effectiveness of the textual layout in supporting readers to retrieve information.
• Children identify pages of interest containing information that captures their imagination using sticky notes in the texts as placeholders for future use.
• Gather a list of successful elements in the non-chronological texts that enabled children to follow easy reading pathways to retrieve information. Refer back to the grid to quote evidence to support opinions.
• Using an interactive whiteboard (IWB), collaboratively refine this list to collate a set of class success criteria for effective non-chronological reports.
• Provide a range of ICT-based and paper non-chronological reports for children to read in pairs. Ask children to generate a question based on the text for their partner to answer. Complete the evaluation grid modelled in the shared session to record the effectiveness of the texts for information retrieval.
• During guided reading, create text maps of double page spreads in non-chronological reports. Demonstrate where different elements of the text (pictures, diagrams, captions, headings and written text) appear by tracing over the layout of the pages on acetate or tracing paper.
• Compare and contrast to find effective layouts and text organisation. Sort texts into more and less effective non-chronological reports using class success criteria.
• Identify the main findings of independent reading investigations and annotate the class success criteria.
• Discuss how the reading tasks will support writing a non-chronological report, for example ask: What have we learned to help us write?

Learning outcomes:

• Children can identify the main features of a non-chronological report, including grammatical features and key vocabulary.
• Children can evaluate non-chronological reports, expressing their views clearly and using evidence from the text.