Use Informational Text Features
Students use headings, captions, bold print, glossaries, indexes, and other text features to locate and understand information.
Illustrations are auto-generated and may be placeholders. They can be refreshed to match the narration.
Explore Common Text Features
Informational texts use special features to help readers find and understand facts. A heading names the topic of a section. A caption explains a photograph or diagram. Bold print makes an important word stand out. A glossary near the back of a book gives meanings of important words. An index lists topics in alphabetical order and shows the pages where they appear. Other helpful features include a table of contents, labels, maps, and charts. Imagine a book about frogs. The heading “A Frog’s Life Cycle” tells you what a section explains. The word tadpole may appear in bold print. You can look for tadpole in the glossary to learn that it is a young frog with a tail. These features make information easier and faster to find.
Take a Text Feature Walk
Before reading an informational text from beginning to end, take a text feature walk. First, read the title and look at the cover to predict the main topic. Next, scan the table of contents and headings to see how the information is organized. Look closely at photographs, diagrams, maps, captions, and labels. Notice words in bold print, but do not stop to read every paragraph yet. Finally, check the glossary and index. Suppose you are previewing a book called “Amazing Weather.” A heading called “Powerful Storms,” a photograph of lightning, and a diagram of a tornado show that the book will explain different kinds of storms. This quick walk helps you connect ideas, ask questions, and decide where to read for the facts you need.
Match Features to Purposes
Each text feature has a job. Match the feature to your reading purpose. Use the table of contents to find the starting page of a chapter or section. Use a heading to learn what one section is about. Read a caption when you want an explanation of a photograph. Check a glossary when you need the meaning of an important word. Use an index to find every page that discusses a topic. For example, you want to know what sea turtles eat. The index lists “food, 8, 14,” so you turn to those pages. On page 14, the heading “A Turtle’s Meal” points to the right section. A caption below a photograph says the turtle is eating seagrass. Choosing the correct feature saves time and helps you understand the information.
Locate Key Facts
To locate a key fact, begin with a clear question. Then choose the text feature most likely to lead to the answer. Suppose your question is, “How long do penguin eggs hatch?” First, look up “eggs” or “penguins” in the index. The index may direct you to page 12. On that page, scan the headings for one about eggs. Read the paragraph under that heading and check any caption or chart nearby. You might find the fact, “An emperor penguin egg hatches after about 65 days.” Read enough surrounding text to make sure the fact answers your question. Do not copy an unrelated sentence just because it contains the same word. Using the index, heading, and nearby text helps you find the correct fact quickly and accurately.
Complete a Feature Hunt
A feature hunt lets you practice finding and using text features. Choose an informational book and make a list of features to find. Search for a heading, caption, bold word, glossary entry, index entry, and one other feature. For each one, record the page number and explain how it helps. In a book about bees, you might find the bold word pollen on page 6. The glossary explains that pollen is a fine powder made by flowers. An index entry for “honey, 10–12” shows where to read about honey. A caption on page 8 may explain that a bee carries pollen on its body. After the hunt, share one useful feature with a partner. Explain what information you found and why that feature was the best tool for finding or understanding it.