1. Features of Informational Text

2. Print Features Guides readers through the patterns of organization of the text. Table of contents Index Glossary Preface Pronunciation Guide Appendix

3. Table of Contents Helps the reader identify key topics in the book and the order they are presented in.

4. Index Helps the reader see everything in the text listed Alphabetically with page numbers.

5. Glossary Helps the reader Define words contained in the Text.

6. Preface Helps the reader set a purpose for reading, get an overview of the content.

7. Pronunciation Guide Helps the reader say or pronounce the words.

8. Illustrations Expands the meaning of the text – Photos – Drawings – Magnification

9. Photos Helps the reader understand exactly what something looks like. New fish discovered – flathead sculpin fish http://www.boingboing.net/2010/10/06/mr-blobby-and-other.html

10. Drawings Helps the reader understand what something could or might have looked like. http://www.dinosaur.co.kr/images/triceratops2.jpg

11. Magnification Helps the reader see the details in something small. http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/diatom.jpg Microscopic phytoplankton called diatoms

12. Organizational Aids Help readers find important information. – Bold print – Colored print – Italics – Bullets – Titles – Headings – Subheadings – Captions – Labels – Sidebars

13. Bold Print Help the reader by signaling the word is important and/or found in the glossary.

14. Colored Print Helps the reader understand the word is important.

15. Italics Helps the reader understand the word is important. Mrs. Garner looked everywhere for her new bag of pretzel chips. She checked her filing cabinet drawers as well as her in her pretty orange closet, but she could not find them. She knew she purchased them and brought them to school. Mrs. Mentzel and Mrs. Neubert helped Mrs. Garner look. Then, Mr. Dutko entered the room and Mrs. Garner noticed the front of his tie was covered with pretzel chip crumbs !

16. Bullets Helps the reader emphasize the key points/concepts.

17. Titles Helps the reader locate different categories in the text.

18. Headings Helps reader identify topics throughout the book as they skim and scan.

19. Subheadings Helps the reader navigate through sections of text.

20. Captions Helps the reader understand a picture or photograph. Figure 4 As the wilderness was settled, the gray wolf population in the United States declined.

21. Labels Helps the reader identify a picture or photograph and/or its parts.

22. Sidebars Helps the reader gather additional or explanatory information.

23. Graphic Aids Represent information in some specific way. – Diagrams – Flow diagram – Sketches – Comparisons – Graphics – Figures – Maps – Charts/tables – Cross sections – Overlays – Timelines

24. Diagrams Helps the reader understand a more detailed or simplified view of information.

25. Flow Diagram Helps the reader understand a complex sequence of movement or actions.

26. Sketches Helps the reader visualize an important concept.

27. Comparisons Helps the reader understand the size of one thing by comparing it to the size of something familiar.

28. Graphs Helps the reader understand how items are related to each other.

29. Figures Helps the reader combine text information with graphical aids.

30. Maps Helps the reader understand where things are located in the world. Mrs. Mentzel’s hometown

31. Charts/Tables Helps the reader summarize and/or compare information.

32. Cross sections Helps the reader understand something by looking at it from the inside.

33. Overlays Helps the reader understand additional information.

34. Timelines Helps the reader understand the sequence of events in time.