English · Year 2 · Information and the Real World · Autumn Term

Navigating Non-Fiction: Headings

Using headings to quickly understand the main idea of sections.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS1: English - Reading Comprehension
• KS1: English - Non-fiction

About This Topic

Navigating non-fiction is a vital life skill that moves beyond linear reading. Year 2 students learn to use organisational features like contents pages, indexes, glossaries, and headings to locate information efficiently. This aligns with the KS1 Reading standards which require pupils to understand both books they can read independently and those they listen to, specifically focusing on non-fiction structured in different ways.

This topic introduces children to the idea that we read for different purposes. While we read stories for pleasure and sequence, we often read non-fiction to answer specific questions. This concept comes alive when students are given 'information missions' where they must use these tools to solve a problem or find a specific fact under a time limit.

Key Questions

1. Explain how headings help a reader predict what they will learn.
2. Justify the importance of clear headings in an informational text.
3. Construct a heading for a given paragraph of non-fiction text.

Learning Objectives

• Identify the purpose of headings in non-fiction texts to locate specific information.
• Explain how headings help a reader predict the content of a section.
• Construct a clear and relevant heading for a given paragraph of non-fiction text.
• Justify the importance of clear headings for reader comprehension in informational texts.

Before You Start

Identifying Main Ideas in Sentences

Why: Students need to be able to identify the main point of a sentence before they can understand how a heading summarizes a whole paragraph.

Basic Text Features (e.g., Title, Author)

Why: Familiarity with a text's title and author helps students understand that other features, like headings, also organize information.

Key Vocabulary

Heading	A title or short phrase that appears at the top of a section of text. Headings tell the reader what the following text is about.
Non-fiction	Writing that is based on facts and real events. This type of text aims to inform the reader about a particular subject.
Section	A distinct part of a larger piece of writing. Headings are used to divide a text into different sections.
Predict	To say or estimate what will happen in the future or what something will be like. Headings help readers predict the content of a text.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Students often try to read non-fiction books from cover to cover like a story.

What to Teach Instead

Model 'skimming and scanning' techniques. Use a 'search and find' game to show that we can jump to the middle of a book to find exactly what we need without reading the pages before it.

Common Misconception

Children may think a glossary is just a dictionary.

What to Teach Instead

Explain that a glossary is a 'mini-dictionary' specifically for that book's topic. Show how the bold words in the text link directly to the glossary to help them understand new technical terms in context.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: The Index Hunt

Provide groups with several non-fiction books and a list of specific facts to find. Students must race to use the index or contents page to locate the correct page number, explaining their strategy to the group.

20 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Feature Focus

Set up stations for 'Glossary', 'Captions', and 'Headings'. At each station, students complete a short task, such as matching a technical word to its definition or writing a caption for a mysterious photo.

30 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Heading Predictions

Show a heading from a new book. Pairs predict three things they might learn in that section. After reading, they check if their predictions were correct, reinforcing the purpose of headings.

10 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Magazine editors use headings to organize articles, helping readers quickly find stories about topics they are interested in, such as sports or cooking.
• Website designers use headings to structure web pages. This allows users to scan for information, like finding product details or contact information on a company's site.
• Cookbook authors use headings for recipes and ingredient lists. This helps home cooks find specific instructions or ingredients needed for a dish.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a short, unheaded non-fiction passage divided into three paragraphs. Ask them to write one heading for each paragraph that accurately describes its content. Then, ask: 'How did your headings help you guess what each part was about?'

Quick Check

Display a page from a non-fiction book with clear headings. Ask students to point to a heading and explain what they expect to learn from that section. Ask: 'Why is this heading helpful for finding information quickly?'

Discussion Prompt

Present two versions of the same short non-fiction text: one with clear, informative headings and one with vague or missing headings. Ask students: 'Which version is easier to read and understand? Why? What makes a heading 'good' or 'bad'?'

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I introduce the difference between an index and a contents page?

Introduce the contents page first as it follows the book's order. Once they are comfortable, introduce the index as an alphabetical tool for finding very specific details. Comparing them side-by-side helps clarify their different uses.

How can I encourage students to read captions?

Use 'image-only' days where you show a picture from a non-fiction text without the caption. Ask students to guess what is happening, then reveal the caption to show how much essential information it adds.

What is the best way to teach technical vocabulary in Year 2?

Create a 'living glossary' on the classroom wall. When students encounter a new technical word, they work in pairs to write a definition and draw a diagram, adding it to the wall for future reference.

How can active learning help students understand non-fiction layout?

A 'Human Book' activity is very effective. Assign students roles like 'Heading', 'Caption', 'Illustration', and 'Body Text'. Give them a topic and ask them to arrange themselves on a large piece of paper on the floor to create a layout. This physical construction helps them understand how different features work together to guide the reader's eye and organise information.