This document discusses informational text and how text features help readers understand and locate information. It defines informational text and print features, organizational aids, and visual aids that are used. Readers are instructed to analyze the text features used on a sample page, evaluate a chosen feature, and use text features as clues during independent reading.

1. WHY READ
INFORMATIONAL
TEXT?

2. INFORMATIONAL TEXT
•What is it?
•Why read it?
Why do we read?

4. TEXT
FEATURES
• How do they help us better
understand the text?
Categories Examples
Print Features:
help readers locate information that
SURROUNDS the text
Table of Contents
Index
Glossary
Preface
Introduction
Appendix
Organizational Aids:
Help readers locate information
WITHIN the text
Bold print
Italics
Bulleted lists
Heading and titles
Captions
Labels
Sidebars
Visual Aids:
Reinforce or provide additional
information related to the
information stated in the text
Diagrams
Graphs
Charts
Figures
Maps
Tables
Timelines
Photographs

5. FIRST READ
• Reading Detectives
– What kind of text features are used in our text?
• Experience connected text.
–Turn to Page 16.
–Follow along and notice the text
features used in this section.

6. •What information was presented in
just the visual text features?
•What information was presented in
both the text and visual text
features
•Is there any information missing?

7. EVALUATION
•Pick a text feature from the page.
•Turn to your partner and discuss
–Why do you think the author chose to
use this text feature?
–Was it useful?
–Why or why not?

8. USE TEXT FEATURES AS CLUES
•During your independent
reading, look for text
features in your selected
texts.

9. WRITING
•Complete the Interest
Inventory
•Share with your partner
things that interested you.

10. •Pick one thing you care about from
your interest inventory.
•Write an argumentative piece trying
to convince someone that this thing
is important.
•Worth teaching in school?
•Worth writing books on?