What Is Text Structure2
What Is Text Structure2
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Text structure refers to the ways that authors organize information in text. Recognizing the underlying structure of content-area texts can help us: - focus attention on key concepts and relationships, - anticipate whats to come, and - monitor our comprehension as we read.
Structure (Organization)
Fiction
Story Elements: Characters Setting Problem/Solution Plot
Non-Fiction
Cause and Effect Sequence Problem/Solution Description Compare and Contrast
One effective way to identify nonfiction structures is to understand words and phrases that frequently signal organization. For example, words such as like, unlike, and in contrast are often used when one thing is being compared to another.
Text Features
Fiction Non-Fiction Title Table of Contents Index Photos Captions Diagrams Glossary Date line (periodicals) Bold Print Headings Sub-titles
Title Chapter Index (for Chapter Books) Illustrations Bold Print Continuous Text Paragraphing Dialogue
Sequence
Description
- What items, events, or steps are listed? - Do they have to happen in this order? - Do they always happen in this order?
- What specific topic, person, idea, or thing is being described? - How is it being described (what does it look like, how does it work, what does it do, etc.)? - What is important to remember about it?
Sequence
Description
First Second Next Then Before After Finally Following Not long after Now Soon
For instance Such as To begin with An example To illustrate Characteristics *Look for the topic word (or a synonym or pronoun) to be repeated