Understanding
Nonfiction
Text
Text Features
Examples of Text
Features
With Definitions
Text Features Help Students
Understand Nonfiction Text
Explanations for
How Text Features
Help Readers
What are text features?
• Text features to help the reader
better understand what they have
read.
• Text features provide additional
information.
• Text features help the reader
visualize the text.
Where do find this in
a nonfiction book?
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: All About Animals
Animal Adaptations ……..Page 1
Animal Food……….……..Page 2
Animal Habitats . ………..Page 3
Animal Homes ..……….…Page 4
Chapter 2: All About Plants
Photosynthesis ………….Page 5
Types of Plants ………….Page 6
Where would a reader find
information about where an
animal lives?
• Lists the major parts
of a book with page
numbers.
• It outlines the main
topics or main points.
• Readers can use the
table of contents to
help locate
information and see
how everything is
organized.
Where is this
located?
Index
A
Abu Simbel, temple of, p73
Acadia, Canada, 212-213
Acid rain, 396, c396-c397, 396-397
Animal Adaptations p1
Animal Food p2
Animal Habitats p3
Animal Homes p5
Where would a reader find
information in the text about
acid rain?
• Is an alphabetical
listing of the key
names, terms,
events, and topics
with page numbers.
• Readers use the
index to help find
pages that contain
information they are
looking for.
A Glossary is like a
mini dictionary it is
always found where?
Glossary
A
Acid rain (AS ihd rayn) rain
that carries certain kind of
pollution.
Adapt (uh DAPT) to change in
order to survive in new
environments
How would the glossary help
the reader understand text
about animal adaptations?
• A list of key terms in
alphabetical order.
• Each key word is
defined-gives meaning.
• Sometimes a glossary
also tells you how to
pronounce a word.
• Readers use the
glossary to help them
better learn and
understand the
subject.
When should you
read the title?
Titles
What do the titles of
the articles in these
newspapers tell you?
• Titles tell the reader the
main idea of the text.
• Titles help the reader
by letting them know
what they are about to
read.
• Titles focus the reader
on a topic so they can
make connections
between what they
already know and the
text.
Can be found
_________ the title
or main heading.
Another word for
subheading is
sub_____
Subheadings
•
Helpful Ants
Although ants are frustrating when
they get in homes, ants do help the
environment. They help control the •
population of damaging pests such as
termites.
Subheadings divide
the text into
sections.
Subheadings tell the
main idea of each
section.
• They are printed in
large or bold type to
Types of Ants
make them stand
Types of ants include fire ants, which
out.
cause a painful sting, and carpenter
• Subheadings help
ants, which damage wood structures
the reader to locate
while nest building. Other types of
information in the
ants include honey, pharaoh, house,
text by telling them
Argentine, and the thief ant.
where to look.
How do the words in
italics help the reader
understand the text?
Text (Bold, Color, & Italics)
• The style and color of the
The Wetlands of the South
text sends the reader
signals about how to
Why are the South’s wetlands
read the content.
so important?
• Text in italics is used in
picture captions, book
The Okefenokee (oh kuh
titles, foreign language,
fuh NOH kee) Swamp is a
p, and to emphasize..
large wetland in the South. A
wetland is a place where the • Text in bold, color, or
italics draw the readers
ground is soaked with water for
attention to important
at least part of the year.
information.
How might these
photos help the reader
understand the text?
Photographs
Illustrations
• Photos and
illustrations help the
reader picture the
information.
• They give additional
information.
• They work with the
words and headings to
help teach material.
• Used to explain
difficult sections.
How does this caption
help the reader
understand the picture?
Captions
• A caption
explains a
picture or
illustration.
Photo by MARCIN SZCZEPANSKI
These gold coins were found on the
ocean floor!
• Captions
help the
reader
understand
information
that may or
may not be
in the text.
What is the MAIN
purpose of the textbox
below—what color is it?
Textbox
• A textbox can
include interesting
facts or important
information the
author wants the
reader to know.
The textboxes above asks the
reader a question.
• Textboxes help
readers understand
by creating interest
or emphasizing
important
information.
How would a map of the
United States help the
reader understand an article
about Texas?
Maps
• Maps are drawings that
show the basic shape of
the land and other bodies
of water, names of places.
• Help reader picture or
visualize where things are.
• They help the reader
understand where an
event happens.
• They help the reader
understand how far away
an event took place.
Diagrams
• A diagram is a drawing
that shows or explains
something.
• To understand a
diagram the reader
should read the titles,
labels, captions, and
numbered parts.
• Diagrams help the
reader understand
steps, how objects are
made, or information in
How could this diagram help the
the text.
reader understand volcanoes?
Tables
• Tables organize large
amounts of
information in a small
space.
• Tables help the
reader compare
information in the
text.
How would a table about volcano
eruptions help the reader understand
volcanoes?
Timelines
• Timelines show
important events in
chronological order
or time order.
• Timelines help the
reader better
understand how
one event caused
or effected another
event.
How would a timeline help a reader
understand why some older people
aren’t knowledgeable about computers?
Attracting Woodpeckers
Here are a few tips for bringing some
woodpeckers to your yard.
PUT OUT SOME SUET
Woodpeckers really go for suet. You can buy
suet cakes in many supermarkets1 and at other
stores that sell bird food.
OFFER OTHER TREATS
Woodpeckers often eat seeds and nuts. Here
are ways to feed them:
•Tube feeder with black oil sunflower seeds
•Peanut tube feeder with split peanuts
1supermakerts: grocery stores or places to buy food and items for
the house.
What Text Features
Can YOU find??
Cross Sections
show you things you
could not usually see.
T chart
organizes information
Flow Chart: read left to right
Side Bars or insets provide
extra information.
Can be in different color background.
Close Ups
Uses for Recycled
Tires
Office supplies
Mats
Rugs
Playground equipment
Bumpers on cars
Road materials
Text Box
List
Bullets