Primary Chinese: Explanatory Text Comprehension

Primary Chinese: Explanatory Text Comprehension — Tutor Lesson Plan

2026-10-27

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

An explanatory text is not answered by feelings; it is answered by structure. Read the shape first, then extract paragraph by paragraph.

Objectives — the student can label each paragraph as introduction, explanation or conclusion, find the topic sentence, and name three explanation methods with their effect.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Paragraphing	Split a text into three parts and justify it	Reasons about content, not line count
Topic sentence	Find the sentence that sums up a paragraph	Usually first or last
Basic vocabulary	Explain the word firm	Solid, not easily broken

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-6 min	Shape first	Count paragraphs, read title and opening	Say what the whole text is about
6-16 min	Paragraph jobs	Mark introduction, explanation, conclusion	Label every paragraph
16-26 min	Topic sentences	Show how to find them at the start	Underline three
26-36 min	Methods	Example, comparison, numbers	Find one of each
36-42 min	Fix errors	Board a copied paragraph	Rewrite in their own words
42-45 min	Exit check	Three questions marked at once	Finish alone

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Count paragraphs, then label them

Most explanatory texts open with the topic, explain it in the middle paragraphs, and sum up at the end.
Label the job of each paragraph and you know where each answer lives.

Student writes intro, explanation or conclusion beside every paragraph.

Scene 2: The topic sentence does the summary work

The first sentence of a paragraph is usually the topic sentence; the rest explains or gives examples.
Find it and the paragraph summary writes itself.

Repeat: “a paragraph summary is the topic sentence, not the details”.

Scene 3: Methods need an effect

A phrase like “for example” is giving an example, whose effect is to make an abstract idea concrete.
“Compared with” highlights a difference by comparison; figures persuade by giving numbers.
Answer with method and effect, both parts.

Warn: “it uses an example” alone does not score.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Paragraph summary	What does paragraph three explain?	Rewrite the topic sentence	From the text
Extraction	Name the three benefits mentioned	Work through in order	From the text
Method	Which method is used here?	Method plus effect	Example: giving an example, making it concrete
Inference	Why does the writer say this?	Find the evidence, then infer	From the text

Sanity check (teach this): Every answer must be traceable to the text; “I think” without evidence is not an answer.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Label paragraph two	Explanation	Read the first sentence
Find the topic sentence of paragraph three	Quote it	A topic sentence, not an example
Effect of “for example”	Makes the idea concrete	The effect, not just the label

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Copying the paragraph	three lines copied	Quote one sentence only.
Method without effect	“it uses comparison”	Say what the comparison achieves.
Mistaking an example for the summary	summary repeats the example	Summaries generalise.
Inference with no evidence	“because the writer likes it”	Go back to the text.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 5 Chinese paper — Part B, questions 5 to 7 (explanatory comprehension)

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
What does the first paragraph usually do?	Introduce the topic	All right: move to punctuation
Where is the topic sentence usually?	At the start	One wrong: re-teach the structure
How many parts in a method answer?	Method and effect	Two wrong: repeat scene 3

09 Tutor FAQ

Vocabulary first?

Explain words as they appear; structure and extraction matter more.

Answers are always too long.

Cap the summary at 25 characters to force generalisation.

Explanatory against narrative?

Explanatory explains what and why; narrative tells what happened.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.