Which instructional strategy is demonstrated when a teacher uses a visible example to show students how to locate information in a nonfiction text?

Which instructional strategy is demonstrated when a teacher uses a visible example to show students how to locate information in a nonfiction text?

• A. Demonstrating how to use the book's table of contents with an overhead
• B. Reading the text aloud while students listen
• C. Having students memorize facts from the chapter
• D. Guiding students to skip sections to save time

Answer: (A)

Teaching students to locate information in nonfiction by modeling the use of text features with a visible example is what this item is about. When the teacher shows, with a visual aid such as an overhead, how the table of contents maps out the book’s topics and where to turn for specific information, it makes the process concrete and easy to imitate. The table of contents serves as a guide to the book’s structure, helping young readers plan their search by topic and page. This explicit demonstration supports independent reading because students see the steps, can verbalize them, and then apply the same approach to other nonfiction texts. Using a visible example also aligns with how children learn best—through demonstration paired with guided practice and then gradual independence. By focusing on a navigational strategy—how to use the table of contents to find information—the teacher helps students move beyond guessing where content might be and into a reliable, repeatable method. The other options don’t teach this navigational strategy: reading aloud emphasizes listening rather than locating information, memorizing facts doesn’t build text-search skills, and skipping sections undermines understanding by reducing exposure to relevant content.

Teaching students to locate information in nonfiction by modeling the use of text features with a visible example is what this item is about. When the teacher shows, with a visual aid such as an overhead, how the table of contents maps out the book’s topics and where to turn for specific information, it makes the process concrete and easy to imitate. The table of contents serves as a guide to the book’s structure, helping young readers plan their search by topic and page. This explicit demonstration supports independent reading because students see the steps, can verbalize them, and then apply the same approach to other nonfiction texts.

Using a visible example also aligns with how children learn best—through demonstration paired with guided practice and then gradual independence. By focusing on a navigational strategy—how to use the table of contents to find information—the teacher helps students move beyond guessing where content might be and into a reliable, repeatable method. The other options don’t teach this navigational strategy: reading aloud emphasizes listening rather than locating information, memorizing facts doesn’t build text-search skills, and skipping sections undermines understanding by reducing exposure to relevant content.