Text features are the elements that arrange written text to support meaning. They include page numbers, table of contents pictures, illustrations, chapter titles, headings, and sub-headings as well as labels, captions and diagrams.
Teaching children about the text features is important for improving their comprehension of reading. It is particularly beneficial for students who are learning to read nonfiction books.
What`s a text feature?
Text features are the sections of a nonfiction book or article that aren`t included in the main body. They include the table of contents, index captions, headings, images or diagrams as well as glossary terms, labels or features of graphs or charts, and bolded words.
They`re similar to story elements in fiction, however they offer extra help with comprehension and provide clear directions for the reader. They can help students find details they`re not aware of, or make connections with their prior knowledge.
Children often ask, “How would I read this if there were no text feature?”
To improve comprehension of nonfiction text, it is important to teach students how text elements can be recognized and understood. This is especially true for science and social studies content.
One way to instruct students is through a process called “Text Features Bingo.” You can play this game either in small groups or as a whole class. It`s a great activity to get your students involved in meaningful learning! You`ll find more at text features.
Beginning Techniques For Using Text Features
Text features provide additional clues to assist students in understanding the information contained in informational texts. Students are on their own when they try to find relevant information in a text without them.
When teaching students about text features, it is crucial to emphasize their significance and how they aid comprehension strategies. This can be accomplished by focusing on particular text features or by teaching students how to use them.
Scavenger hunts are an excellent way to introduce and learn about the text features. This activity is ideal for children who are young because they can have a lot fun looking for and documenting the text features they discover.
Another way to teach the features of text is to do an interactive think-aloud with a small group. This is most effective when groups are organized so that there is diversity in backgrounds and strengths.
Students can utilize text features in their research and reading when they have a fundamental understanding. Text features can be used in any type of text, such as books, articles, and websites. They assist students in organizing information and make it easy to find it.
Advanced Techniques For Teaching Text Features
When students have a better understanding of what text features are and how they function they can utilize them to improve their comprehension of texts. They can also access prior knowledge, make connections and deepen their comprehension of the text`s contents.
A text feature walk is one method to accomplish this. This fun activity for small groups is highly effective and has been demonstrated to increase the number of valid predictions.
To do this, ask students walk through a single page in an academic or social studies book. Explain that all pages except the main body are text-based features.
Headings, captions, pictures captions, labeled maps, maps, glossaries, and diagrams with labels are all text-based features. Students will have to traverse the entire page and discuss each text feature, its function, and how it relates to their primary idea.
Visual Text Features
Visual text features are graphic elements, such as symbols, icons and other elements that convey information. They can include cartoons or comic strips and timelines, maps or signs or pictures or photographs of people.
They can help students connect ideas and give a brief overview of the text. They are also an excellent way to evaluate and gauge the comprehension of students of more abstract concepts and vocabulary.
Visual text can be represented in many ways in a classroom. It may be in the form of posters, photographs, posters or charts. Instructing children to make use of these non-linguistic text features will help them understand more complicated texts and will help them enjoy reading a variety of books.