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Common Core ELAKindergartenReading: Informational

RI.K.8: Find the Reasons an Author Gives

Also written as CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.8 · Cluster: Integration of Knowledge and Ideas.

All 41 Kindergarten ELA Standards

The Official Wording

With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

Common Core State Standards, Kindergarten, Reading: Informational Text · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026

What RI.K.8 Means in Plain English

Kindergartners find the reasons an author gives for a point, with the teacher prompting. A book that says “Always wear a helmet when you ride your bike” has to say why, and children listen for it: a helmet keeps your head safe, and its foam takes the bump.

This is the first step toward reading an argument. In 1st grade (RI.1.8) children find an author’s reasons without the prompting, and in 2nd grade (RI.2.8) they describe how each reason supports the specific point it goes with.

RI.K.8 I Can Statements

  • I can say what the author wants me to think or do.
  • I can find the reasons the author gives.
  • I can tell a reason from the book, not from home.

RI.K.8 Worked Example

A four-line safety read-aloud that makes one point and backs it up, one question about the author’s reasons, and two answers.

Read the Story
Always wear a helmet when you ride your bike.A helmet keeps your head safe if you fall.Inside a helmet is thick, soft foam. If your head bumps the ground, the foam takes the hit instead of you.Your head holds your brain, and your brain helps you think, talk and play. It is worth keeping safe!
A short passage written for this page.
Question: The author says to always wear a helmet. What reasons does the author give?
Not Yet“Because my mom makes me.”A real reason, and probably true at home, but it is not in the book. The question asks what the author says.
Meets the Standard“The author says a helmet keeps your head safe if you fall. And the soft foam takes the hit instead of your head.”Two reasons, both taken from the book, and each one answers why you should wear a helmet.
Question Stems to Use
What does the author want us to do?Why does the author say that?What is one reason the book gives?Is there another reason?Did the author say that, or did you know it already?

Common Mistakes with RI.K.8

Repeating the point as the reason

“Because you have to wear a helmet.”

Try this: Point to the first line and say “That is what the author wants us to do.” Then ask “Why?” and read on together.

Giving a reason from home

“Because my mom makes me.”

Try this: Write the child’s reason on a sticky note to honor it, then reread and list only the reasons the author wrote.

Stopping at one reason

“It keeps your head safe,” and nothing more

Try this: Count the reasons on a chart as you reread, one tally each, and ask “Is there another one?” until the book runs out.

Where RI.K.8 Fits

Comes BeforeRI.K.1Answer questions about the key details in a text, which is where the reasons are found.
AlongsideW.K.1Draw, tell and write an opinion of their own about a topic or a book.RI.K.3Tell how two ideas in a text go together.
Comes NextRI.1.8Identify the reasons an author gives to support points, without the teacher’s prompting.

Practice RI.K.8

Quick Check

  1. What does the author want you to do?
  2. What is inside a helmet, and what does it do?
  3. Name one reason the author gives for wearing a helmet.

RI.K.8: Other Names

RI.K.8CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.8

Common Core State Standards © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. Official wording from the Common Core State Standards PDFs at corestandards.org, last checked October 14, 2026. The explanation, I can statements, example, mistakes and practice on this page are EMStudio’s own, written beside the official wording. They are not part of the standard.