Prestwick HouseDistinguishing Various Types of Informational Factual Text has 5 types of informational text structure.
To fully understand and analyze informational texts, students must be able to unpack these 5 text structures and study their components, whether they're reading textbooks, news articles, or works of literary nonfiction.
This is easy.Texts that use this structure describe something.These texts give a lot of details about what they're describing.
In novels, works of literary nonfiction, news articles, science textbooks, and so on, the entire point of description is to present information, which makes sense.
Order is important when students read or write.Texts that use this format usually don't present any event or instruction out of order, as doing so would make it more difficult to follow.
Imagine a cake recipe in which preheating the oven is the last step.It would be confusing.It's not worth your time to read poorly written instructions.
A list of words and phrases that indicate a text follows a sequence.
Text structures explain causes and effects.Sounds simple.When an effect has multiple causes, works that use this structure can become more complex.
When reading historical texts, students will see complex examples of cause-effect.There are many events in history that have more than one cause.
A list of words and phrases that indicate a text follows a cause/effect structure.
The text structure shows how different things are and how similar they are.
It's important for students to know that contrasting two or more things doesn't mean they're either good or bad.One thing could have both positive and negative qualities.
A list of words and phrases that indicate a text follows the compare/contrast structure.
Problem/Solution requires the use of other structures as well as a very complex text structure.The problem needs to be described by the author.In order to argue in favor of their solution, the author would likely explain the causes and effects of the problem.Do you mean following a series of specific steps to implement the author's solution?There is another structure involved.What if the author talks about other possible solutions and then explains why their solution is the best one?Compare/Contrast!
The author uses only the information needed to advance the argument or refute counterarguments, which is important as it is with any text in which an author marshals an argument.The argument as a whole and individual components of the text should be examined by students when examining a text that uses the Problem/Solution structure.
Students will be able to examine the argument's individual components if they know that parts of other text structures might appear in the Problem/Solution one.If you want students to be able to examine Problem/Solution effectively, you need them to understand and analyze the other four structures.
Are you looking for a series that makes teaching easier?For grades 7–12, try reading informational texts.The books in this series offer challenging nonfiction passages that are in line with the Common Core State Standards.