Text features are the organizational elements of written text that provide the meaning. These include page numbers , table of contents, illustrations, photographs, chapter titles, headings, and sub-headings as well captions, labels, and diagrams.
It is crucial to teach children the features of text to enhance their comprehension of reading. It is particularly beneficial when children are learning to read nonfiction texts.
What`s a text feature?
Text features are those parts of a nonfiction story or book that aren`t included in the main body. These include the table of contents and index, headings, captions beneath diagrams or images, and glossary terms.
They are similar to the story elements in fiction but provide extra support for comprehension and a clear path for readers. They can help students find information they`re not familiar with or make connections with their prior knowledge.
Children often ask, “How would I read this if there were no text feature?”
To increase understanding of nonfiction text it is crucial to teach students how text elements are recognized and understood. This is particularly true for science and social studies content.
Text Features Bingo is a great way to educate students. It can be played in small groups or in a whole class. This is a great way to engage students in meaningful learning. Look for more on Information design.
Novice Techniques For Using Text Features In Class
Text features provide additional clues to help students understand information from informational texts. Without them, students are left to their own devices when trying to locate relevant information in the text.
When teaching students about text features, it is essential to emphasize their significance and how they can aid comprehension strategies. This can be accomplished by focusing on particular text features or by showing students how to utilize them.
A scavenger hunt is an excellent way to introduce and practice text feature. This activity is particularly great for children in the younger age group as they can have fun taking notes and documenting the text features that they find.
Another way to teach the features of text is to do the use of a think-aloud within a small group. This is best done when the groups are grouped so that there is a diversity of backgrounds and strengths.
Students can utilize text features to aid in their research and reading once they have a basic understanding. For the book, an article, or a website text features assist students determine organization and locate crucial information quickly.
Advanced Techniques For Teaching Text Features
When students have a better understanding of what text features are and how they work they can make use of them to improve their comprehension of reading. They can also access prior knowledge, make connections and improve their understanding of a text`s content.
A text feature walk is a method to achieve this. This is a highly effective and engaging small-group exercise that has proven to increase the number of accurate predictions made by students.
Students can do this by walking through a section of the social studies or science text book. Explain that all pages, except the main body are text features.
Headings, captionsand pictures captions, maps with labels and glossaries, maps, and diagrams with labels are all text-based features. Students must explore the entire page and discuss each text feature, what it is for, and how it relates to their main idea.
Visual Text Features
Visual text features are graphic elements such as icons, symbols and other elements that convey information. They can include cartoons or comic strips as well as timelines, maps, photographs or images of people.
These can be used to help students connect concepts and provide a brief overview of the text. They can also be a great way to assess and gauge comprehension of more abstract concepts and vocabulary.
Visual text can be presented in many ways within a classroom. It could take the form of photographs, posters, posters or charts. These non-linguistic text features can be taught to children to ensure that they can comprehend more complicated texts and appreciate a wider selection of books.