New Ways To Teach Text Features

Text features are the organizational elements of written text that support the meaning. They include page numbers, table of contents, illustrations, photographs, chapter titles, headings, and sub-headings as well as labels, captions and diagrams.

It is important to teach children how to read text in order to improve their comprehension of reading. This is especially crucial for children who are learning to read nonfiction.

What is a text feature?Text Features: What Are They?

Text features are those parts of a nonfiction article or book that aren`t included in the main body. They include the table of contents, index, captions, headings, images or diagrams labels, glossary terms, or features of graphs and charts and bolded terms.

They are similar to the story elements found in fiction, but they provide additional support for comprehension and an easy path for readers. They can help students find information they`re not familiar with or make connections with previous knowledge.

Children often ask, “How would I read this if there was no text feature?”

To increase understanding of nonfiction text it is crucial to teach students how text features can be identified and understood. This is especially important for social studies and science content.

One method of teaching students is through a method called “Text Features Bingo.” You can play this game either in a small group or whole class. This is a great way to get students involved in meaningful learning.  Look for more on What Are Text Features By Fractus Learning.

Beginning Techniques For Using Text Features

Text features provide additional clues to help students comprehend information from informational texts. Without them, students are left to their own devices when trying to find relevant information within a text.

When teaching children about text features it is essential to make clear their importance and how they help with comprehension strategies. This can be accomplished by focusing on specific text features or by showing students how to use them.

One method to introduce and practice text features is to use a scavenger hunt. This activity is great for children of all ages because they will have a lot of fun looking for and documenting the text features that they find.

A think-aloud with small groups is another way to teach the features of text. This is most effective when groups are grouped so that there is a diversity of backgrounds and strengths.

Once students have a good understanding of text features, they can begin to make use of them in their research and reading skills. Text features can be used for any type of text, including books, articles as well as websites. They assist students in organizing information and locate it quickly.

Expert Techniques For Teaching Text Features

Students can increase their understanding of the features of text and how they work by having a greater understanding. They can also tap into prior knowledge, make connections and increase their understanding of the text`s content.

A text feature walk is a way to achieve this. This is an effective and fun small-group activity that has proven to increase the number of accurate predictions made by students.

To do this, have students walk through a single page in an academic or social studies book. Explain that everything on the page except for the main body of the text is considered a text feature.

For example, headings, pictures and captions, diagrams with labels, glossaries, maps, and headings are all text elements. The goal is to have students explore the page and discuss what each text feature does and why it`s there, and how they think it is related to their main idea.

Whats A Visual Text Feature

Visual text features are graphic elements, such as icons, symbols, and other elements that communicate information. They can include cartoons or comic strips and timelines, maps or signs or pictures or photographs of people.

They can be used to help students connect concepts and provide a quick overview of the text. They are also an excellent method to test and assess student understanding of more abstract concepts and vocabulary.

Visual text can be represented in many ways in a classroom. It could take the form of posters, photographs, posters or charts. These non-linguistic text features can be taught to children so that they can comprehend more complex texts and be able to enjoy a wider range of books.