Every text you read has a certain text-structure.
If you read before knowing the text structure, you have to figure it out on the fly while getting the facts, which is challenging.
When you know the structure beforehand, you can focus primarily on the facts.
This lessens the burden of reading and allows you to go deeper into the content. While you can be trained to skim the text to learn text structure, here we will provide you the structure so that you can study it before reading
Ask yourself:
- What is the structure of the text? How can I be prepared and use what I know about text structure to anticipate how the information will be presented?
- Is this Narrative or Expository? If Narrative, then think story grammar. If expository, is it chronological sequence, comparison/contrast,description, point of view, problem/solution, process/cause and effect?
- Look at signal words and think what graphic organizers can be activated. Match text to graphic organizer on text structure.
(Williams, J. P., Stafford, K. B., Lauer, K. D., Hall, K. M., & Pollini, S., 2009)
Look through these graphic organizers to learn about Text Structure, focusing on the Key Organizers listed below.
Simplified Version of Story Map
- Who is in the story?
- Where does the story take place?
- When does it happen?
- What is it about?
- How does it turn out?
General Story Map
- Setting:
- When:
- Where:
- Characters:
- Initiating event:
- Problem/Goal:
- Major Events:
Resolution:
Theme/Main Idea:
PSSA Reading Standards
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