How can knowing the
word structure help me to
be a better reader?
An introduction
Soon, you will be learning
about text structure
• In order to
understand text
structure, we need
to understand what
the word structure
means
-STRUCT
A word root meaning “to build”
Many words, including
structure, have this
word root
All of these words are
related to building
-STRUCT
A word root meaning “to build”
Construct: to build
-STRUCT
A word root meaning “to build”
Destruction: un-building,
or tearing down
-STRUCT
Sometimes, the meaning of
the root is a little harder to
see
Instruct: To teach
How does this relate
to the meaning of the
root -STRUCT?
-STRUCT
Sometimes, the meaning of
the root is a little harder to
see
Instruct: To teach
Teaching is building knowledge. So,
to instruct someone is to build their
knowledge
Going back to structure
• We know that the root –STRUCT
means to build
• The word structure has several
meanings, all related to building
STRUCTURE
• A style of building
• Example: a round structure
Or, a fancy
structure
STRUCTURE
How could you describe the structure
below? Write your answer. Remember
to use the word “structure”!
STRUCTURE
Structure can also refer to the
way that parts of things fit
together
In science, you can
learn about the
structure of a
flower
STRUCTURE
Structure can also refer to the
way that parts of things fit
together
Even though
flowers are not
built, they do have
parts that fit
together
STRUCTURE
Structure can also refer to the
way that parts of things fit
together
Text can have a
structure, too
Text Structure
When writers
write, they use a
structure to put
ideas together. It’s
as if writers are
building the text!
Text Structure
Learning about
text structure
helps us to see how
a text is built
Using a structure to make
predictions
• Whether we are looking at real
buildings or at texts, we can use a
structure to help us make predictions
• Looking at the structure of something
can help us to learn more about it
Using structure
• Noticing the structure
of a building can help
us learn about it
• Looking at what the
building is made of,
where it is, and how it
is built can help us to
figure out what the
building is for
Using structure
• What does the
structure of this
building tell you?
• What can you learn
about this building
when you look at
the structure?
Using structure
• What does the
structure of this
building tell you?
• What can you learn
about this building
when you look at
the structure?
Using structure
• When we look at a
text, we can think
about it the same way
• What words does the
author use? How are
the words put
together?
• Answering these
questions can help us
figure out the main
ideas in the text
Using structure
• Over the next few
weeks, you will
learn more about
using text structure
to help you
understand what
you read
Review
• What does the root
-STRUCT mean?
• What are some
words that have
this root?
• What does the word
structure mean?
Review
• How will knowing about text
structure help you to understand
a text?
How can knowing the
word structure help me to
be a better reader?