Finding information (retrieval) · Year 1

Retrieval means finding information in a text: facts and details that the text tells you directly. The answer is in the words of the text, so you don't have to guess: you have to find it. Good readers use the question to know what to look for.

Key facts

  • Read the question first and find its key word: a name, a place, a number or a time.
  • Look for that key word, or a word that means the same, in the text.
  • Read the sentence around it carefully: the answer is usually there.
  • Find and copy means use the exact word from the text and spell it as the text does.
  • Check your answer against the text: does it answer the question that was asked (who, where, when, how many)?

Worked examples

Example 1

Read: Lerato has a little cat called Pip. Pip is black with white feet. Question: What colour are Pip's feet?

Answer: white

Example 2

Read: The oldest pupils carried water up the steep path in buckets. Find and copy one word that tells you the path was hard to climb.

Answer: steep

Example 3

Read: The library first opened in 1907. In 1962 it moved to Station Road. Question: When did the library first open?

Answer: in 1907

Other years