Information Literacy Skills
The ability to find, evaluate, and use information from various sources critically.
Here’s a set of practical activities to support the development of information literacy for home educated children. These activities help children learn how to find, evaluate, and use information effectively and responsibly—skills that are essential for lifelong learning.
🧠 What Is Information Literacy?
Information literacy involves:
Knowing how to ask good questions
Finding reliable sources
Evaluating the accuracy and relevance of information
Organizing and sharing findings clearly
🔍 Research & Inquiry Activities
1. Ask & Investigate
Children choose a question they’re curious about (e.g., “Why do cats purr?”).
Use books, child-safe websites, or videos to find answers.
Discuss how they know the information is trustworthy.
2. Fact-Checking Fun
Present a mix of true and false statements.
Children research to verify which are correct.
Builds critical thinking and source evaluation.
3. Mini Research Projects
Choose a topic (e.g., planets, famous inventors).
Guide children to:Ask questions
Find information from multiple sources
Create a poster, booklet, or slideshow
Teaches how to gather and organize information.
📚 Literacy-Based Activities
4. Source Sorting
Provide different types of sources (books, websites, videos).
Ask: “Which source is best for learning about this topic?”
Discuss why some sources are more reliable than others.
5. Keyword Hunt
Teach children how to use keywords to search for information.
Practice by finding facts online or in books using specific words.
6. Create a Fact File
Choose a topic and collect 5–10 facts.
Organize them into categories (e.g., habitat, diet, history).
Builds information organization skills.
🎲 Game-Based Learning
7. Information Detective
Give clues about a mystery topic.
Children research to solve the mystery.
Encourages curiosity and research skills.
8. True or False Quiz Creation
Children create their own quiz using researched facts.
Share with family or friends to test their knowledge.
9. Library Scavenger Hunt
If you have access to a library or home book collection:Find a book about animals
Find a book with a map
Find a book with an index
Teaches how to navigate and use informational texts.
🎨 Creative Information Activities
10. Infographic Creation
Children turn research into a visual format (charts, drawings, timelines).
Use paper or digital tools.
Combines creativity with information presentation.
11. Make a Mini Encyclopedia
Choose a theme (e.g., sea creatures, space facts).
Create entries with pictures and facts.
Encourages structured information writing.
🧺 Everyday Information Literacy Boosters
12. Recipe Research
Find a recipe from another country.
Learn about its ingredients, culture, and traditions.
Encourages cross-referencing and cultural awareness.
13. Weather Watch
Track weather using different sources (apps, websites, TV).
Compare predictions and discuss accuracy.
14. News for Kids
Read or watch child-friendly news stories.
Ask: “Who made this?” “Why was it made?” “Is it fair and true?”
Builds media literacy and critical thinking.