Locating facts stated directly in the text: scanning for names, numbers and details, checking answer options against the text, and putting events in the order they happened.
Where your child meets this in real life: Finding the time on a bus timetable, checking the details of a school letter, or looking up a fact for a project
SEAGReady breaks finding information in the text into 3 steps, taught in order so each skill builds on the last.
Scan the text for a key word from the question (a name, number, place or detail) and lift the answer directly from the sentence where it appears.
Answer multiple-choice retrieval questions by testing each option against the text, rejecting distractors that use words from the passage but do not answer the question.
Work out the order in which events happened, using time words like 'before', 'after', 'while' and 'later' - even when the text does not tell events in that order.
Read the passage below, then try these free sample questions from our finding information in the text course. Every question comes with a full explanation, and hints that guide without giving the answer away.
Read the passage
In 'The Ferry to Rathlin', how long did the ferry crossing from Ballycastle to Rathlin Island take?
Answer: A. twenty-five minutes
The text states the answer directly: 'The crossing took twenty-five minutes, and Freya spent every one of them at the rail.' - eight o'clock is when the ferry left - seventeen is the number of seagulls - fifty pence is the price of the postcard Only 'twenty-five minutes' answers HOW LONG the crossing took.
Stuck? Start here: The question asks about the crossing. Scan the first paragraph for the word 'crossing'.
In 'The Ferry to Rathlin', who let Freya look through the big telescope at the seabird centre?
Answer: A. Cameron
The text says: 'At the seabird centre, a warden called Cameron let Freya look through the big telescope.' Test each option against the text: - Uncle George chose the red bicycle - Mrs McFaul hired out the bicycles - Granny stayed at home and was promised a postcard - Cameron, the warden, showed Freya the telescope A name appearing in the passage does not make it the answer - only Cameron matches.
Stuck? Start here: The question is about the telescope. Scan the last paragraph for the word 'telescope'.
In 'The Ferry to Rathlin', which of these did Freya do FIRST after arriving on Rathlin Island?
Answer: A. Hired a bicycle from Mrs McFaul's shed
After the boat arrived, the text says: 'At the harbour they hired two bicycles from Mrs McFaul's shed beside the shop.' The order of events on the island is: 1. hired the bicycles 2. stopped at Mill Bay to watch the seals 3. looked through the telescope at the seabird centre 4. posted the postcard while waiting for the ferry home Hiring the bicycle came first.
Stuck? Start here: The question starts AFTER the ferry arrives. Find where the boat 'bumped against the pier at Church Bay' and read on from there.
This is the exact interactive worked example your child sees in SEAGReady. Step through it and watch the method build up.
Read this extract from a story. 'On Saturday morning, Cara and her granda caught the half past nine bus from Ballycastle to the Giant's Causeway. The journey took forty minutes along the coast road. Before they left, Cara counted twelve fishing boats bobbing in the harbour.'
How long did the bus journey take?
Step 1 of 6
Read this extract from a story. 'On Saturday morning, Cara and her granda caught the half past nine bus from Ballycastle to the Giant's Causeway. The journey took forty minutes along the coast road. Before they left, Cara counted twelve fishing boats bobbing in the harbour.'
How long did the bus journey take?
The bus journey took forty minutes - the text states this directly.
The key insight: You never need to remember the passage - the answer is sitting in the text waiting for you to find it!
Watch out: Answering 'half past nine'. Half past nine is a time from the text, but it answers WHEN the bus left, not HOW LONG the journey took. Always match the answer to what the question actually asks.
These are the misconceptions we see most often in finding information in the text, including the ones our practice questions are specifically designed to catch.
SEAGReady finds the exact step where your child gets stuck, teaches it with worked examples like the one above, and brings it back for review so it sticks.
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