What text features does a first grader need to know?

The first grade standard (RI.1.5) names headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus and icons. These sheets start with the one on almost every nonfiction page, headings, plus a small Words to Know box that works like a glossary.

Why does my child need the headings to answer?

Finding information is the skill. A question like "Under which heading would you look to learn about a frog's legs?" is answered by reading the headings, which is exactly what the sheet wants your child to practice.

1st grade text features

1st grade text features worksheets

First grade text features worksheets use short nonfiction passages split by two or three bold headings, with a Fun Fact or Words to Know section in many of them. Your child learns that a heading tells what its part is about, then uses the headings to find a fact. Four questions, three choices each, and the answer key on the last page.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RI.1.5.

Each click picks one of the 13 passages written for this grade. Every sheet comes with its answer key. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of passages you'll get

Read the passage. Then circle the letter of the best answer for each question.

From Seed to Pumpkin

Planting In late spring, a farmer plants pumpkin seeds in warm soil. The seeds need sun and water. Soon a little green sprout pops up. Growing The plant grows a long vine. The vine has big leaves and yellow flowers. Bees visit the flowers. Then…

Which heading tells when a pumpkin turns orange? Picking · Planting · Growing
Answer: Picking
What do the three headings show? the order a pumpkin grows · three kinds of pumpkins to grow · the best ways to bake pumpkin pie

Each print picks one of the 13 passages written for this grade, and its questions come with it. With 13 to pick from, a second print can land on one you've used, so check the title before you hand it out.

What's on a 1st grade sheet

1st grade sheets draw from 13 passages, 82 to 99 words long. None of these passages are on 2nd grade sheets.

Some of the titles: All About Elephants, Our Moon, Life on a Farm, How Mail Gets to You, A New Puppy, All Aboard the Train.

Reading passage. Read the passage. Then circle the letter of the best answer for each question. One passage per sheet, with its own question set.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Before reading, read just the headings aloud and ask what each part will be about. Then read the passage and check. When a question asks where to find something, have your child put a finger on the heading first and then on the sentence. That two-step move is what RI.1.5 asks for.

Watch for: Table of contents and index blur together for years. The trick that sticks: contents = big topics, front of the book; index = every little thing, back of the book, A to Z. Kids treat headings as skippable decoration and read straight past them. A heading is a free preview of its section, and readers who use them find answers in half the time.

Common questions about 1st grade text features

What text features does a first grader need to know?: The first grade standard (RI.1.5) names headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus and icons. These sheets start with the one on almost every nonfiction page, headings, plus a small Words to Know box that works like a glossary.
Why does my child need the headings to answer?: Finding information is the skill. A question like "Under which heading would you look to learn about a frog's legs?" is answered by reading the headings, which is exactly what the sheet wants your child to practice.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Want a different passage? Print again. Each print picks one of the 13.

Aligned to Common Core RI.1.5. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

Spot a mistake on this sheet? Tell us. · About these worksheets