Text Structure For Students

Overview What is text structure? What are the common text structures? How does text structure help readers understand nonfiction?

What is text structure? Text structure refers to the internal organization of a text As authors write a text to communicate an idea, they will use a structure that goes along with the idea (Meyer 1985)

How does text structure help readers? The structure of a text can help readers find answers to questions For example, knowing that causes come before effects can help students to narrow their search as they’re trying to find the answer to a question

How does text structure help readers? The text structure should be considered by readers when they summarize the text

What is text structure? A nonfiction text can have one overall text structure, or a combination oftext structures For example, a page from a social studies textbook may be written in chronological order, but contain a paragraph that explains a cause and effect

What are the common text structures? Chronological order Also known as time order and sequence This structure is organized from one point in time to another

What are the common text structures? Chronological order Transition words such as first, next, later, and finally are included to help the reader understand how events relate to one another Dates and times are also used

What are the common text structures? Cause and effect This text structure shows how one or more causes led to one or more effects This text structure also has a strong time component, since causes come before effects

What are the common text structures? Cause and effect Transition words such as cause, effect, as a result, consequently, and because are used Time order transitions are also used, but don’t get this confused with chronological texts

What are the common text structures? Cause and effect Another complication is that many texts do not include just one cause leading to one effect—instead, there may be several causes and several effects

What are the common text structures? Problem and solution This text structure presents a problem, and shows how it can be (or has been) solved This text structure can be confused with cause and effect

What are the common text structures? Problem and solution The key difference is that problem and solution always has a solution, while cause and effect does not Transitions may include problem, solution, solve, effect, hopeful, and so forth

What are the common text structures? Compare and contrast This text structure shows how two or more ideas or items are similar or different The text may use a clustered approach, with details about one topic followed by details about the other The text may also show an alternating approach, with the author going back between the two topics

What are the common text structures? Compare and contrast Transition words may include like, similar, unlike, on the other hand, also, and too Compare and contrast paragraphs are often embedded in other text structures as an author needs to explain a similarity or difference

What are the common text structures? Description This text structure shows what an item or place is like Transitions in this structure might include spatial words, such as next to, on top of, beside, and so forth

What are the common text structures? Some texts will categorize typical main idea and detail paragraphs as description

What are the common text structures? Main idea and detail Some texts will also refer to these paragraphs as statement and support This kind of text makes a statement, and then uses details to support it

What are the common text structures? Main idea and detail Transition words include for example, also, one reason, and another reason This is the typical paragraph structure that’s often taught in elementary school