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Why are Text Features Important?
The purpose of text features is to help readers focus on the important information in the text. The teaching of text features is important for a number of reasons.
• Using the visual features of the text creates opportunities for teachers to build background knowledge for students prior to reading the main text body (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2010). • The headings and subheadings are often part of informational text, which alert the reader to focus on the topic they will be reading about. In addition, students can change the subtitles into questions, and thus set a purpose for reading the section. • Text features present new material in meaningful chunks. In many cases, informational text is unknown material to the students and it is easier for them to process information in smaller chunks, such as the ones provided by the subheadings for each section. Also, indexes and tables of contents guide the reader to look up pertinent information in an efficient way. • Many content informational texts provide a glossary so students can immediately understand the meaning of words and see how they are being used in context. Previewing the unit titles can
be helpful in giving the “big picture” of the topic.
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Heading or Section
These bold descriptors help students “chunk” or group information and provide a predictor for what will be read. (Encourage students to make questions out of their headings to provide purpose for their reading). Subheading These can help students identify sections that provide additional details and supporting information. Students should be taught to look at how the subheadings under a particular heading or section can help them identify important supplementary material and key details in support of the main concepts. Italics and bold Authors often useitalics and bold-faced type to highlight important terms or concepts or to show that definitions can be found in the glossary. Charts and Graphs Authors use charts and graphs to illustrate specific points or to present information contained in the text in a visual format that is more easily understood by readers. (Encourage students to pay attention to them and to summarize what they portray). Pictures and Illustrations Pictures and illustrations help readers visualize the text. Helping students determine the purpose of the picture can be beneficial—they see its value in illustrating concepts or statements presented in the text. Maps and Time Lines These can be helpful organizational tools. Maps and time lines help extend meaning and summarize the text for students. Teachers should model how to use the maps and time lines in the assigned reading. Table of Contents The table of contents generally lists part, chapter, and unit and section titles; students can see how it summarizes the major concepts and ideas to be covered in the course. Glossary Glossaries are often underused by students but can be helpful in increasing their vocabulary or summarizing key terms and concepts. In regard to course content, a glossary’s content-specific definitions are usually more complete and appropriate than the general definitions found in dictionaries. Appendix An appendix provides additional information and support materials that may be referenced in various parts of the text. Index The index is an alphabetical listing of subjects, people, places, (and sometimes events) covered in the text. Students may find it helpful in locating support information or information related to main or subtopics. |
TEXT STRUCTURE STUDY
GUIDE Text Structure Signal Questions & Signal Words Chart Take this TEST on QUIA to See What You Already Know About TEXT STRUCTURE. 10 Interactive Text Structure Practice Activities 10 MORE Interactive Text Structure Practice Activities MORE Interactive Text Structure Practice Activities TEXT FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS CROSSWORD - Text Feature Descriptions TEXT FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS FILL IN THE BLANK - Text Feature Descriptions TEXT FEATURE DESCRIPTIONS MULTIPLE CHOICE - Text Feature Descriptions QUIA Text Structure Battleship TEXT STRUCTURE/FEATURES |