Reading for information Notes, Quizzes & Revision
π Revision Notes β’ π Quizzes β’ π Past Papers available in app
Reading for Information (for Indigenous Languages β age 13, Kenya)
Reading for information means looking at a text to learn facts and ideas β for example: how to plant maize, the story of an elder, details about a community event, or news in your area. When you read in or about indigenous languages, you can learn vocabulary used in the community, understand traditions, and collect useful facts.
- Preserve local knowledge and stories from elders.
- Get reliable info for farming, health, or local events in your community language.
- Build vocabulary in your mother tongue and in English/Swahili.
How to read for information β simple steps
- Preview: Look at the title, pictures, and first sentence to guess what it's about. π
- Skim: Read quickly to get the main idea (read first and last sentences of paragraphs).
- Scan: Look for specific words or facts (names, numbers, dates, places).
- Read closely: Underline or circle key facts. Write a short note in the margin (e.g., βwhy?β, βwho?β, βwhen?β).
- Summarize: Put the main idea in your own words in 1β2 sentences.
Types of questions you must answer
- Literal β The answer is in the text (e.g., βWhere did the farmer plant the seeds?β).
- Inferential β You must think a bit and use clues (e.g., βWhy did the children stay home?β).
- Evaluative β You give an opinion with reasons (e.g., βIs this farming idea good for our village?β).
- Vocabulary/Context β Use nearby words to guess meaning of an unknown word or check a bilingual dictionary.
Categories of vocabulary to build
Focus on these groups when reading texts in indigenous languages or about local life:
- Nouns β people, places, animals, crops (e.g., elder, market, goat, maize).
- Verbs β actions (plant, sell, tell, cook).
- Adjectives β words that describe (big, dry, fresh, old).
- Time words β yesterday, tomorrow, during the rains, in the morning.
- Connectors β and, but, because, so (help explain ideas).
- Affixes and word families β learn one root and related words (e.g., teach, teacher, teaching).
- Question words β who, what, when, where, why, how.
Quick practice passage
Passage: Amina goes to the market every Saturday. She sells vegetables from her shamba. In the morning she waters the plants and in the afternoon she walks with her basket to the trading center. The market is full of people and she speaks with many customers.
Identify five vocabulary words that help you learn about daily life (one example: shamba = farm).
Questions:
- Literal: When does Amina go to the market?
- Literal: What does Amina sell?
- Inferential: Why does she go in the afternoon?
- Vocabulary: What does "shamba" mean? Use clues in the passage if needed.
- Every Saturday.
- Vegetables from her farm.
- Because after working in the morning she can carry the basket to sell in the afternoon (it is the trading time).
- "Shamba" means farm β clue: she sells vegetables from her shamba.
Ways to build vocabulary and check meaning
- Create word cards with the indigenous word on one side and meaning + a drawing on the other.
- Make a word map: write a new word in the center and add synonyms, antonyms, and a sentence around it.
- Use a bilingual dictionary or ask an elder to explain words and stories.
- Group words by topic (food, weather, family, tools) β this helps you remember.
- Notice word parts: many local languages use prefixes/suffixes β find the root to learn related words.
How to answer questions well (step-by-step)
- Read the question carefully β underline key words (who, what, when).
- Find the sentence(s) in the text that give the answer β underline them.
- Write the answer in short clear sentences. For literal questions use exact facts. For inferential/evaluative give reasons.
- Check: Does your answer use words from the text? Is it clear?
Final study tips
- Read every day for 10β15 minutes in your mother tongue and in Swahili/English.
- Keep a small notebook for new words and draw a tiny picture for each.
- Talk about what you read with family or classmates β explaining helps you remember.
- Ask elders for stories and write down words you donβt know; ask their meaning later.
Remember: Reading for information helps you learn facts, keep culture alive, and understand your community better. Start small and use your own language always when possible β it makes learning easier and stronger.