TEACHING TEXT

STRUCTURE
Nancy L Gentry
EDU 742
Why teach text structure?
Teaching students to recognize common text
structures found in expository texts can help
them monitor their comprehension.
Knowledge of text structure creates efficient
researchers.
Knowledge of text structure also enables
students to better summarize material
Common Text Structures
Sequential Order
Compare and Contrast
Description
Problem Solution
Cause and Effect


Sequential Order
Texts that follow this structure tell the order in
which steps in a process or series of events
occur.

Questions to Consider
What happened?
What is the sequence of events?
What are the sub-stages?

Graphic Organizers
Flow Map
Multi-flow Map
Timeline
Sequential Order Signal Words
after afterward as soon as before
during finally first following
immediately initally later meanwhile
next not long after now on (date)
preceding second soon then
third today until when
Compare and Contrast
Texts that follow this structure tell about the
differences and similarities of two or more objects,
places, events or ideas by grouping their traits for
comparison.

Questions to Consider
What are the similar and different qualities of these
things?
What qualities of each thing correspond to one
another? In what way?

Graphic Organizers
Double Bubble Map
Venn Diagram

Compare and Contrast Signal Words
although as well as as opposed to both
but compared with different from either...or
even though however instead of in common
on the other
hand
otherwise similar to similarly
still yet
Description
This structure resembles an outline. Each
section opens with its main idea, then
elaborates on it, sometimes dividing the
elaboration into subsections.

Questions to Consider
What are you describing?
What are its qualities?

Graphic Organizers
Bubble Map

Description Signal Words
above across along appears to be
as in behind below beside
between down in back of in front of
looks like near on top of onto
outside over such as to the right/left
under
Problem-Solution
The writer presents a problem then expounds upon possible
solutions for that problem.

Questions to Consider
What is the problem?
What are the possible solutions?
Which solution is best?
How will you implement this solution?

Graphic Organizers
Circle Map
Flow Map
Multi-flow Map

Problem-Solution Signal Words
the question is one answer is one reason for
recommendations
include
because cause
since therefore consequently
as a result of this let to co
so that nevertheless accordingly
if . . . then thus
Cause and Effect
In texts that follow this structure, the reader is
told the result of an event or occurrence and
the reasons it happened.

Questions to Consider
What are the causes and effects of this event?
What might happen next?

Graphic Organizers
Multi-flow Map

Cause and Effect Signal Words
accordingly as a result of because begins with
consequently effects of finally first
for this reason how to how if...then
in order to is caused by leads/led to may be due to
next so that steps involved therefore
thus when...then
How to Teach Text Structure
Introduce the idea that texts have a text
structure. Explain to students that texts (even
the text in their science and social studies
textbooks) have different organizational
patterns. These organizational patters are
called text structures.

Introduce common text structures. Explain
that text structures can often be identified by
certain signal words.

How to Teach Text Structure
Show examples of paragraphs that
correspond to each text structure.

Make an outline of the text to find how the
text is structured.

Examine topic sentences that clue the
reader to a specific structure. Look for the
signal words that are associated with each
text structure.

Highlight all the signal words in the text.



How to Teach Text Structure
Model the writing of a paragraph that uses
a specific text structure.

Have students try writing paragraphs on
their own that follow a specific text
structure. Writing paragraphs that follow
certain text structures will help students
recognize these text structures when they are
reading.

Strategies to Teach Text Structures
during Writing Instruction
Provide explicit instruction. For example, the teacher
shows students specifically how and when to use
strategies such as attending to signal words while
reading different content areas or using signal words
when writing expository text.

Scaffold instruction. For example, the teacher helps
students by providing some clues and supports as they
attempt to identify the text structures in various texts.
One clue might be to provide students with examples of
situations where these text structures are most
commonly used.

Model the use of strategies. For example, while
students watch, the teacher writes a paragraph using a
particular text structure and describes her actions as
she is writing.



More Strategies
Model a think-aloud strategy. This strategy is best
used by the teacher as part of a modeling process, as
described above. In addition, the students are
encouraged to talk aloud as they engage in the
processes. For example, the teacher asks students to
talk about the clues in a given text as they try to identify
the text structure.

Ask focusing questions. Teachers can use focusing
questions as a means of scaffolding the use of
strategies or assisting students in the think-aloud
process. For example, the teacher asks a student which
signal word might be best to show a particular
relationship among ideas in a text structure.

Use and create graphic organizers. For example, the
teacher models charting the structure of specific
paragraphs while reading and also provides practice in
using the graphic organizer to write different text
genres.