You will learn
- Read a question carefully.
- Find the answer in the text.
- Answer who, what, where and when questions.
- Answer in a full sentence.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- Read the question first.
- Find the answer in the text.
- Answer who, what, where and when.
- Answer in a full sentence.
Words to know
something we ask
what we reply
proof from the text
a whole idea with a capital and end mark
1. Discover: Ask and answer
Mum went to the market on Monday. She bought rice, fish and onions. Ama went with her. They came home at noon.
Ayo asks: “Who went to the market?” Ama answers: “Mum and Ama went to the market.”
Think: What did Mum buy?
2. Understand: Questions and answers
Idea 1: Question words
Who asks about a person. What asks about a thing. Where asks about a place. When asks about a time.
Idea 2: Find the answer in the text
Look back at the text and find the words that answer the question. The answer is in the text.
Idea 3: Answer in a sentence
Say or write the answer as a sentence: “Mum bought rice, fish and onions.”
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Who?
Who went with Mum?
- Look for a name.
- Find it.
Answer: Ama went with Mum.
Example 2 (We do it together): What?
What did Mum buy?
- Look for bought.
- Read the list.
Answer: Mum bought rice, fish and onions.
Example 3 (You try): When?
When did they come home?
Show the steps and answer
- Look for a time word.
- Read it.
Answer: They came home at noon.
Did you know?
Good readers go back to the text to check their answers.
Why this matters
Answering questions shows you understood what you read.
4. Explore: Question game
Ask and answer questions.
- Read a short text.
- Take turns asking who, what, where and when.
- Find the answer in the text.
- Say it in a full sentence.
Think about it: what did you notice?
Questions help you check your understanding.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The answer is in the text where it says ___.
- ___ went to ___.
- They ___ on ___.
- The answer is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Who went to the market?
Mum and Ama
Question 2. What did Mum buy?
rice, fish and onions
Question 3. When did they come home?
at noon
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Where did Mum go?
- Who went with Mum?
- What did Mum buy?
- When did they go?
- We find the answer in the ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Answer in a sentence: Where did Mum go?
- Which question word asks about a place?
- Which question word asks about a time?
Level 3: Stretch
- Write a question about the text.
- Why do we go back to the text?
- Ayo says Mum bought apples. Is he right?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Read a short text at home. Ask a family member a who question and a what question.
Show a sample answer
Who is in the story? What happens?
Another one. Answer three questions about a short text in full sentences.
Show a sample answer
Mum went to the market.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Check the text.
Fix: Answer in a full sentence.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can read a question.
- I can find the answer in the text.
- I can answer who, what, where and when.
- I can answer in a full sentence.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Read the question.
- Find the answer in the text.
- Know who, what, where, when.
- Answer in a sentence.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Making predictions. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What does when ask about? [1 mark]
- Who went with Mum? [1 mark]
- What did Mum buy? Answer in a sentence. [2 marks]
- Where did Mum go? [1 mark]
- Explain how to answer a question about a text. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- a time [1]
- Ama [1]
- Mum bought rice, fish and onions [2]
- to the market [1]
- read the question [1]; find the answer in the text [1]; answer in a full sentence [1]
Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- Who asks about a ___.
- Where asks about a ___.
- When asks about a ___.
- What asks about a ___.
- Where did Mum go?
- What did Mum buy?
- When did they come home?
- True or false: we look back at the text.
- Write a question about the text.
- Answer in a full sentence: Who went with Mum?
Homework
Read a short text with a family member. Ask and answer four questions.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Who asks about a ___. | person | 1 |
| 2. Where asks about a ___. | place | 1 |
| 3. When asks about a ___. | time | 1 |
| 4. What asks about a ___. | thing | 1 |
| 5. Where did Mum go? | to the market | 1 |
| 6. What did Mum buy? | rice, fish and onions | 1 |
| 7. When did they come home? | at noon | 1 |
| 8. True or false: we look back at the text. | true | 1 |
| 9. Write a question about the text. | a valid question | 1 |
| 10. Answer in a full sentence: Who went with Mum? | Ama went with Mum. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 to the market; 2 Ama; 3 rice, fish and onions; 4 on Monday; 5 text. Level 2: 1 Mum went to the market.; 2 where; 3 when. Level 3: 1 a valid question; 2 to find or check the answer; 3 no, she bought rice, fish and onions.
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Read a question carefully | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Find the answer in the text | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Answer who, what, where and when questions | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Answer in a full sentence | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: Answering without looking back. Check the text.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use short texts and pointing to the answer.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns to answer questions about a text. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Ask who, what, where, when after reading.
- Ask them to show where the answer is.
- Praise full sentences.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: read a question carefully; find the answer in the text; answer who, what, where and when questions; answer in a full sentence.
Prerequisite knowledge. Identifying important details.
Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Read the market text and ask questions.
Explanation (10 min). Teach question words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise the question game.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners share their questions and answers.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is the question asking? Where is the answer in the text?
Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use a sentence frame for the answer. Extension. Write questions for a partner to answer.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Answering without looking back. Check the text.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Use short texts and pointing to the answer. Enrichment. Write your own questions for a text. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 1 » Reading: Foundational Skills; Grade 1 » Reading: Literature; Grade 1 » Reading: Informational Text. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core RL.1.1 and RI.1.1 (ask and answer questions about key details in a text); IES What Works Clearinghouse practice guide Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (teach students to ask and answer questions); Cambridge Primary English Stage 1 (reading comprehension). These sources informed the lesson.