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The students gather on the floor for a read-aloud. The teacher reads a nonfiction expository text and points out text features like headings, table of contents, and diagrams through a text feature walk.

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Find the Text Feature | Lesson plan | Education.com

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Get your students excited about expository text through this fun introduction to text features!

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The teacher will explain text features by pointing them out in a text.

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Most primary students have used the picture walk technique to preview text (Stahl, 2004). By looking at and talking about the illustrations in a text, students activate prior knowledge, make predictions, and set a purpose for reading (Clay, 1991; Fountas & Pinnell, 1996). Effective primary teachers use this instructional strategy when teaching students how to read (Taylor, 2002), yet this supportive practice is not as common when students read expository text and is often discarded as students move from reading picture books to chapter books.

When students enter the intermediate grades, they are required to read more textbooks and informational texts to learn, but reading textbooks and informational texts can be difficult for students due to the higher level vocabulary and concept-dense content. In addition to these complexities, expository nonfiction also contains numerous text features that supplement and present important content that the student must read in order to fully comprehend. Interestingly though, students often ignore these essential text features (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2008; Spencer, 2003), even though they have been taught their importance.

After acknowledging that our intermediate students failed to read or gave little importance to text features when reading, we developed the text feature walk strategy. The text feature walk is a technique that follows a protocol similar to the primary picture walk. This article will describe how to employ a text feature walk in your classroom and report on the benefits we have garnered from using this technique, including results from a pilot study we conducted in the spring of 2007 to determine its effectiveness (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2008).

Rationale for the text feature walk

Whether you teach one subject or all subjects, ultimately your goal is the same: student learning and achievement. To assist teaching and facilitate student learning, we often teach students to employ a strategy. Strategies help learners organize information, reflect on a topic, and learn. In addition to having various strategies to assist with content learning, knowing how to navigate the text is extremely important. Teachers must recognize factors within a text that can enhance or impair comprehension. These factors fall into three categories: text features, text organization, and text content.

Text features include all the components of a story or article that are not the main body of text. These include the table of contents, index, glossary, headings, bold words, sidebars, pictures and captions, and labeled diagrams. These features can be helpful if they are concise, related to the content, and clear, or they can be harmful if they are poorly organized, only loosely related to the content, or too wordy. Text organization refers to the patterns and structures used by the author(s) to write the text. A well-organized text assists the reader through predictable placement of information. A poorly organized text can impede the reader by being counterintuitive. The content of a text is what we want students to learn. Content can be accessible if it is reduced to manageable chunks, or it can be intimidating if it includes too much specialized academic vocabulary and too many abstract concepts.

The text feature walk is a structure that addresses each of these facets of expository text. The success of the text feature walk is dependent on knowledge of text features and the ability to self-scaffold through discussion. We teach students to use this structure to help them predict what they will be learning. In a text feature walk, students work in a small group, reading each feature in the order that it appears and discussing what they think they will be learning. As each feature is read, students must think about and discuss how the information relates to the main idea of the text.

As students move through text features in a given section, they become familiar with the text's organization and access important background knowledge related to the content (Honig, Diamond, & Gutlohn, 2000). Sometimes, if the content is unfamiliar and students are unable to make connections, the text features actually frontload vocabulary and concepts that will be important in the main body of the text. These discussions help students create mental models and increase the likelihood that they will read and remember (Recht & Leslie, 1988). As students make their predictions and discuss various features, they anticipate what they will read and set a purpose for their reading (Lubliner, 2001).

In addition to the benefits already discussed, the text feature walk is an engaging structure that builds students' interest in learning and enhances their construction of meaning. This type of active learning is important for both vocabulary acquisition (Kibby, 1995; Nagy & Scott, 2004; Rupley, Logan, & Nichols, 1998) and content learning. Ruddell (2009) recommended that reading strategies do three things: (1) provide students with the opportunity "to interact and transact with the text" (p. 220), (2) purposefully guide the student as they read in the content area, and (3) help students to integrate their reading with content learning. The text feature walk accomplishes all three of these goals.

Introducing students to a text feature walk

Used correctly, the text feature walk is a very powerful tool (see chart below). The key to proper usage is all in the preparation and training of students. You should start by making sure they are familiar with text features. Have students look at pages in a science or social studies book. Instruct them to run their hands over the main body of text. Explain that everything else is considered a text feature.

Ask students why authors and designers include text features. It is helpful to spend a few weeks having students simply identify and read various text features prior to initiating a text feature walk. The text features in the table below are quite common and among those you will want to directly teach to students. Knowledge of text features is not the only prerequisite to a successful text feature walk. In addition, you want to be sure students know the difference between an interactive conversation about a text and just taking turns talking about a text.

Common text features to explicitly teach students

Name of text feature

Purpose of text feature

Title

Quickly tells the reader what information they will learn about

Table of contents

Shows students the different chapter or section titles and where they are located

Index

Directs students where to go in the text to find specific information on a topic, word, or person

Glossary

Identifies important vocabulary words for students and gives their definitions

Headings or subtitles

Help the reader identify the main idea for that section of text

Sidebars

Are set apart from the main text, (usually located on the side or bottom of the page) and elaborate on a detail mentioned in the text

Pictures and captions

Show an important object or idea from the text

Labeled diagrams

Allow readers to see detailed depictions of an object from the text with labels that teach the important components

Charts and graphs

Represent and show data related to, or elaborate on, something in the main body of text

Maps

Help a reader locate a place in the world that is related to text

Cutaways and cross sections

Allow readers to see inside something by dissolving part of a wall or to see all the layers of an object by bisecting it for viewing

Inset photos

Can show either a faraway view of something or a close-up shot of minute detail

Once students are familiar with text features and able to hold a focused discussion about text, you can easily introduce the text feature walk structure and teach them to use it. You will want to begin by explaining that a text feature walk is like the picture walks they did when they were learning to read picture books. As with any structure or strategy, you will need to explicitly model how you as an expert reader use a text feature to make a prediction. This is best done using a think-aloud in a whole-group setting (Kelley & Clausen-Grace, 2007, 2008). Quickly bring students into the fold by having them read a text feature and explain how the information in the text feature may contribute to the main idea of the text. This guided practice under your supervision is important so that you can revert back to modeling and direct instruction if needed. The entire text feature walk should be done before students actually read the main body of text. Then, have students read the main body of the text and debrief with them on what they learned and how the text feature walk assisted with comprehension.

Eventually, the goal is to move the text feature walk structure from whole-group to small-group use. To make this successful, you should cluster students, so each group is heterogeneous with varied strengths and no one group has all the quiet, reserved children. You might also think about which students have background knowledge of the topic. Groups of four work very well. Tell students they will take turns identifying and reading text features in the order they appear in the text. After someone reads their feature, all members should discuss the predictions, questions, or connections they have to the feature and how they think it relates to their predicted main idea. This continues on until all of the features have been discussed or time is called by the teacher.

After explaining and putting students in groups, give each group a copy of the directions to help them remember what to do. Assign a short section of text (2-4 pages), then walk around and listen in as they work. You will need to remind groups of their goal and that they should be discussing how they think the feature relates to the main body of text, not just taking turns reading the text features. Once most groups are finished, have the students come back together as a whole group to discuss what went well and what they learned from discussions. They are now ready to read and more fully comprehend the text.

Our pilot study

After three years of implementing text feature walks with students, we knew the practice engendered more meaningful predictions and deeper comprehension of text. Recognizing that discussion was integral to the success of the text feature walk, we were curious whether discussion alone would be just as helpful as the text feature-centered discussions such as we used in the text feature walk structure. To explore this question, we divided Nicki's (second author) classroom into three groups. Each group completed a before reading sheet, on which they wrote predictions of what they thought they would learn about the human body from reading their science text. Each group also read the text and answered the review questions at the end of the section selected.

The three groups were formed based on the teacher's report for the Scholastic Reading Inventory (1999) which placed students in above, on, or below grade-level groups based on their Lexile scores. From this report, three piles were made based on students' scores, one for above level, one for on level, and one for below level. The researcher used stratified random selection from each pile to create the three groups.

Group 1 served as a control group. After the students in this group made their predictions, they read the text silently then answered the review questions. Groups 2 and 3 were the treatment groups. Group 2 had a discussion about the human body with textbooks closed, then predicted, read, and answered review questions. Group 3 conducted a text feature walk of the selected section prior to writing their predictions, reading the text, and completing review questions.

The researcher (first author) and a graduate assistant read through each student's before reading sheet to determine the total number of predictions included for each group. Irrelevant ideas (i.e., those not related to the text) and repeated ideas were not included in a group's total count. Once a 95% agreement was reached, totals were obtained to determine which group had the most predictions related to the text. As hypothesized, the control group had fewer relevant predictions than the treatment groups, and group 3, the text feature walk group, had the greatest number of pertinent predictions.

To determine the effect on student comprehension and learning, the researcher and graduate assistant evaluated student responses on the checkpoint and review. The text feature walk group had the highest average correct. Surprisingly, group 2, the group that discussed the topic without the text feature walk, performed lower than group 1, the control group. Although there are limitations to our pilot study, such as having a small sample size, these results confirmed our observations that when students do a text feature walk, they are able to make better predictions and learn more from reading the text.

An effort rewarded

Our work with the text feature walk structure proved that Alice had it right: Books are much more valuable with pictures and discussion. Although teaching students to effectively navigate expository text using a text feature walk takes time initially, the rewards reaped once the structure is in place make up for it. Students learn how vital it is to read and think about the features that support text. They also make better quality predictions, anticipate their learning, and comprehend more fully, ensuring better understanding of the content being studied.

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Guiding Students Through Expository Text with Text Feature Walks

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Most primary students have used the picture walk technique to preview text (Stahl, 2004). By looking at and talking about the illustrations in a text, students activate prior knowledge, make predictions, and set a purpose for reading (Clay, 1991; Fountas & Pinnell, 1996).

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Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.

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Students will learn how to identify text features in an expository text.

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The students work on a worksheet at their desks in pairs. They are given a pre-selected nonfiction text. Students will find text features together to answer the worksheet questions.

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The teacher will call on students during floor time before the lesson begins. The teacher will ask students questions about identification and knowledge of text features.

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Students will be given a worksheet in which they will identify the text features on the page, and be able to answer questions about text features.

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Text features can be shown through a graphic organizer that utilizes visuals and labels. A graphic organizer will provide ELL students with a reference with which they may refer back too if they feel confused.

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Kids need to be able to learn to read text for meaning ... (and ask themselves) "Do I know why I'm reading this? Do I know what information I'm looking for?" ... We're always delivering the curriculum in a way that draws on language and reading skills.
- Dr. Nonie Lesaux

Do you remember buying used textbooks in college? If you were lucky, you got one that was highlighted by a skilled student, giving you clues to key information from the book that you needed for your coursework. If you weren't lucky, you got a textbook that had practically all words highlighted on each page and you were looking at a sea of neon pink, yellow, or blue, which could be very distracting. My guess is that a lot of high school students head to college without ever having learned to interact effectively with non-fiction texts. Since books are a precious resource in K-12 education systems, students aren't allowed to highlight or mark in them, and may rely more heavily on the classroom instruction and peer interaction than their reading material to grasp the main idea of a lesson.

Reading Non-fiction with ELLs

See more great ideas in our related resource section on reading non-fiction with ELLs!

Of course it's not just a question of highlighting important information - it's a question of learning key concepts and vocabulary by becoming familiar with different kinds of text, by learning to use a textbook's tools and structure, and by monitoring one's own comprehension of non-fiction text. Without ever having developed these skills, students will have a tough time when it comes time for them to learn information independently in more advanced coursework and in college.

This is especially true for English language learners, who are challenged by learning a new language and new content in that language at the same time. Teachers can help prepare ELL students to successfully work with non-fiction, (or expository) text, however, in many ways - and the earlier the better. Starting early is important because if elementary school classrooms have a predisposition towards fictional stories and literature, students may struggle when they get to fourth grade and need to engage effectively with non-fiction texts in order to learn new content.

In Colorín Colorado's Reading to Learn: ELLs in Grades 4-6 webcast, featured panelist Dr. Nonie Lesaux addresses this transition:

There probably is a fourth-grade slump, but the question is whether we're just picking something up in fourth grade that's already been there for a lot of years for a number of kids, and/or whether, in fact, there are differences in the comprehension demands of the curriculum, and certainly that's a question ...(because by fourth grade) we have reading that cuts across a number of areas of instruction, so reading is not just relegated to reading instruction but rather we need to have good reading comprehension skills for math, for science, for other areas of the curriculum.

While some of those challenges relate to reading instruction in content areas, they also relate to improving the instruction non-fiction texts for ELLs so that students can work successfully with content-area material. In this article I will highlight components of non-fiction texts and effective strategies to help ELLs gain the skills needed to not only understand the content, but understand how the text structure works so they will be able to access content effectively throughout their education.

Introducing text

First, let's look at definitions of types of text:

Narrative: The main purpose of narrative text is to tell a story. Narrative text has beginning, middle and end, characters, plot or conflict, and setting. Usually, narrative texts are written from the author's imagination.

Expository: The main purpose of expository text is to inform or describe. Authors who write expository texts research the topic to gain information. The information is organized in a logical and interesting manner using various expository text structures.

To increase ELLs comprehension of non-fiction expository text, teachers need to provide:

1. explicit instruction on how expository text is structured.

2. models of "what good readers do" to get information from expository text.

3. opportunities for practice so that ELLs can identify and interact with the text

4. opportunities for peer interaction with the content of the text in order to increase comprehension.

Let's look at these steps in more detail:

1. Provide explicit instruction on how expository text is structured.

Teachers need to spend some time introducing students to the format of expository text. This is a lesson intended to teach students how to get information from non-fiction text rather than on the actual content of the text. That instruction can be done once students are familiar with the text format and structure.

Help students recognize the structure of expository text. Introduce the various parts of the text, such as the table of contents and the glossary. Discuss how these different parts are used for informational reading, how the text is organized, where different parts will be found in a textbook, and how they compare with one another.

For example, have students compare the index and the glossary, and discuss what they would use each section for. You might try asking a question such as, "If I want to know the definition of a word, will I look in the index or glossary?"

Elements that are important to introduce include:

Although it may seem very obvious to teachers, something as simple as finding bold words and identifying their definition in surrounding text may be new concepts to developing readers. As students are instructed to find different components of the text, ask questions such as, "What does this graphic tell us? Why do you think the author wanted to put that there?" Make it a thinking exercise so the students will internalize the knowledge.

Chapter walk

One way to help students become familiar with new kinds of books is through a chapter walk, which can be used with fiction or non-fiction text. Students preview the chapter before starting their first lesson in a new unit, looking for headings, graphics, pictures, important words, and key information. Students can discuss what they've noticed and what they think will be covered in pairs, gropus, or with the entire class. Once students have become comfortable with a new resource, this exercise can be used to preview content for future lessons and activate background knowledge.

This strategy can also be used with fiction books by using illustrations and chapter headings or important words in the text.

Types of text

For older students, teachers can spend some time helping them understand the different types of text they will encounter, such as descriptive, sequence, and cause and effect. (See examples in this document and the graphics from the U-46 School District in Elgin, Illinois, featured on Reading Rockets.)

2. Provide opportunity for ELLs to practice interacting with the text and identifying key components of the text.

Giving the students to practice these skills will build confidence and offer many learning opportunities. Practice activities can be done to demonstrate how to get information from the expository text. For example, ask students to look for the main idea of a text, and then to explain what "clues" they saw that supported their answer. Students might say things such as, "The main idea is usually in the first paragraph." Or, "I saw the summary written on the side of the page." Engaging the class in discussion about these key components will give all students a chance to demonstrate learning.

Other strategies include:

Making predictions: One method is the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA), which encourages students to be active readers. DR-TA is a process where the students listen to a brief summary of the text, review a few key words or pictures, and then make a prediction about the content of the text. As they begin to read the text, the teacher asks more questions about how their predictions match what they're reading.

Word splash: Students receive handouts with key words and phrases from the text "splashed" randomly across the page. The students spend some time making clusters of information that goes together. They can do this by circling groups of words, highlighting them in different colors, or drawing lines. The class discusses what they've learned from their clusters and what they predict they will learn from the text. Once again, when they begin to read the text they should make note of which parts of their prediction were correct and how they know that based on "evidence" in the text.

Practice highlighting: Students can practice highlighting text on worksheets or by using this method: Give each student a clear plastic overhead sheet and a "write-on/wipe-off" marker. Have the student paperclip the plastic sheet to a page in the textbook and work together to circle new vocabulary words and underline key points. The plastic sheets can be wiped off and used again.

Margin bookmark: One way to allow students to practice making notes is by using margin bookmarks. Prepare scratch paper "bookmark" strips that fit in the crease of the textbook and within the margin of the print, or that can be attached to the outside margin using a paperclip. Students can use these bookmarks to make notes in the margin. Give them specific tasks such as, "Write the definition of one of the bold words in your own words," or "Write one fact, one question, and one thing that is important for you to remember." Provide examples so that students see how they can interact effectively with expository text.

Define the important information: As evidenced by those textbooks full of highlighting I mentioned at the beginning of the article, if a student doesn't know what's important, then everything is important. I like to have the students do an activity I call "Pack the Suitcase" so that they can start identifying the most important information in the text. In order to do this activity, give the students a short text (no more than two paragraphs) and a small envelope with a picture of a suitcase drawn or glued on it. Pass out pieces of scrap paper and tell students that they need to:

1. review the text

2. write "an important point" on each piece of paper

3. "pack" them in their suitcase.

Students can use as many or as few pieces of paper as they want. When the students are finished, tell them they are going on a trip but that they packed too much - they must look in their suitcase and take out half of their items. Students will really have to decide which items (points) are most important to bring on the trip. Finally, have students "travel" to the other side of the room and sit with a partner and "unpack" the suitcases. See if they have the same points, and discuss any differences and how they identified what was important in the article.

3. Model "what good readers do" to get information from expository text.

As good readers, teachers sometimes forget how mystifying and overwhelming text can be for students. I can recall many years of math classes where I looked around at my classmates in puzzlement and wondered how they figured all the answers out! Looking at the textbook didn't help me because I didn't understand what I was looking for. I believe ELLs ofent have a similar experience, but if teachers model "what to do" when approaching expository text, ELLs will become more successful readers.

Here are some strategies to try:

Think aloud*: Read an introductory portion of the text to the class. Pause to model what you are thinking out loud, such as by describing what you know about the text. For example, a teacher may look at a chapter with a picture of a volcano and bold words in the text such as lava, magma, and geothermic. The teacher could say, "Hmmm ... I see this picture of a volcano and I notice bold vocabulary words. The words look very scientific and technical. I bet this will be a reading about science. I think I will learn facts about volcanoes and how they work."

Demonstrate how to figure out vocabulary: As you come to new vocabulary words, pause and think about how you can figure out what that word means. Show how you look for clues such as commas after the word that contain a definition, or show how the word is related to something else you know such as a root word or cognate in another language. Finally the teacher may want to demonstrate how to ask someone next to you for help with the word, or refer to your personal dictionary of new words that you've created for the unit.

Use a graphic organizer: Determine what you need to know in the text and show how to complete a graphic organizer. Talk about how the graphic organizer will help you remember the important information in the text. For example, if students need to determine the characteristics of an active volcano vs. an inactive volcano, the graphic organizer can follow a comparison outline and students fill in the correct information as related to the topic. Be sure to emphasize that this kind of activity can be used in any classroom and with any content. The student just needs to determine what they want to know and make an "organized picture" of the information so they will remember.

Model "fix up" strategies*: Proficient readers know when they "missed" something or what they are reading doesn't make sense. Developing readers tend to "just keep going" hoping that eventually it will all make sense. Of course, this makes it much more difficult to comprehend the content and it leads to frustration. Show students how you "double check" information when you don't understand it or it doesn't make sense. Read a section of the text aloud - especially a complicated portion - and stop to reflect. Say out loud, "What did I just read? That didn't make sense. Let me go back and read it again." If it still seems confusing, ask the students for ideas about how you could "check" your understanding of this information.

Determine if it's "In the Book" or "In my Head": In the Question Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy students are taught to identify if information is in the book (literal) or in their head (inferential). Teachers can demonstrate this by using questions to model how they figure that out. For example, a literal question might be, "What are three characteristics of an active volcano?" An example of an inferential question is, "Are volcanoes dangerous?" This can be a very important skill to develop because many developing readers spend a lot of time scouring the text looking for an answer that is not defined literally in the text.

*Strategies from, "7 Keys to Comprehension: How to help your kids read it and get it!" by Susan Zimmerman and Chryse Hutchins. See Hotlinks for further information.

4. Increase peer interaction with the content of the text in order to increase comprehension.

Giving students the chance to interact with their peers about new content will engage them and offer more opportunities to practice talking, writing, and thinking about what they have learned. You can do this with the following strategies:

Develop study guides to guide ELLs through content area textbook reading. Study guides will focus student attention on the major ideas presented, and can include graphic organizers as described above, key vocabulary, and guiding questions. These study guides can be very helpful in preparing for final exams and students can use them to "quiz" each other. More advanced students can develop their own study guides in partners or in groups.

Assign reading partners. Pair ELLs with friendly fluent readers. Ask partners to read aloud to each other, alternating sentences or pages. After the first student reads, the other student summarizes what they heard. Then the two partners switch roles.

Encourage student engagement. One strategy is the "Say Something" activity. Students take turns reading aloud, and following the reading, each student 'says something,' such as asking a question, making a comment, making a connection to something already read, or responding personally to the text. The exercise also engages students as readers and gets them thinking about the text. For ELLs, teachers may want to have a "phrase wall" displayed so they have a sentence structure to begin their comments. Examples such as, "That reminds me of..." Or "Do you know..." or "That's interesting because..."

Have students re-tell what they have learned. After students read a section of text, have them re-tell it to a partner or write a few summary notes in their notebook and switch notes with a partner. The partner can add notes, questions or comments to the author's notes.

For more tips on supporting reading instruction in the ELL classroom, take a look at our reading tips for teachers, as well as some reading comprehension strategies. You may also find some helpful tips from the AdLit.org Strategy Library.

Closing Thoughts

Spending time working with text structure and guiding ELLs in how to access expository content effectively will have huge benefits for your students now and in the future. Textbooks are like other classroom tools, such as microscopes or computers. Without the proper introduction and practice, the student will only get a fraction of the information the teacher hopes they will gain. As teachers work with students to discover the secrets to using expository text for learning, they will be rewarded by deeper discussions and learning in the classroom. Most importantly, having learned these strategies, your students will be equipped to interact with a multitude of academic texts throughout the rest of their education.
Text Features: Non-Fiction Printed Page vs. Website Format
This chart from ReadWriteThink.org gives students a reference for comparing non-fiction textbook or printed material to website content features.
Colorín Colorado Webcast: Reading to Learn in Grades 4-6
This Colorín Colorado webcast features Dr. Nonie Lesaux, and addresses the challenges facing English language learners - and their teachers - in grades 4-6.
Colorín Colorado Webcast: ELL Comprehension
This webcast featuring Dr. Cynthia Lundgren and Kristina Robertson discusses effective reading comprehension strategies for teaching English language learner students.
Colorín Colorado: How to Help ELL Students Leap to Success
This article offers suggestions for helping teachers guide ELLs through the critical transition between third and fourth grade.
AdLit.org: Strategy Library
This resource offers comprehensive list of strategies for each phase of the comprehension lesson - before, during, and after reading.
West Virginia Department of Education: Keys to Comprehension
Information and lesson ideas for the "7 Keys to Comprehension" by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins. Available on the West Virginia Department of Education website.
Keys to Comprehension: Strategies
Brief description of the strategies from "7 Keys to Comprehension" by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins.
Analyzing Text: Lesson Plans
Lesson plans from Poway Unified School District to help students in determining importance through crossing out information and using graphic organizers.
West Ed: Reading Apprenticeship Framework
Website for the Reading Apprenticeship Framework that describes the elements of the framework and includes links to articles.
Text-Mapping Project
Step-by-step lesson plan on how to map text with students.
What's Special About Non-fiction?
This lesson plan from Scholastic offers ideas about ways to introduce students to nonfiction texts.
Time for Kids
Time for Kids offers a great range of informational text for different grade levels and related activities.
Education Oasis: Graphic Organizers for Vocabulary Development
Links to vocabulary development graphic organizers.
Vocabulary Activity: Prediction and Confirmation
An activity for vocabulary prediction and confirmation featured on the Florida Center for Instructional Technology website.

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Increasing ELL Student Reading Comprehension with Non-fiction Text

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Kids need to be able to learn to read text for meaning ... (and ask themselves) "Do I know why I'm reading this? Do I know what information I'm looking for?" ... We're always delivering the curriculum in a way that draws on language and reading skills.

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In the classrooms that I've visited over the past few years, I found that many ELs, even those ready to exit ESL, were still having difficulties comprehending their science and social studies textbooks. It is important that both ESL and classroom educators teach a unit on the features or conventions of nonfiction text to ELs as early as first grade. I suggest that teachers use multiple copies of paperback theme sets from National Geographic or Millmark Education, because both of these publishers feature social studies and science books that include all of the features that need to be taught.

Here are some of the books that I've used to teach the conventions of nonfiction text:
Introducing Conventions of Nonfiction Text
Here are some of the conventions of nonfiction text that teachers can introduce to their ELs.

Teachers should first discuss the title of the book and have students make predictions about the content. Students then brainstorm and list questions that they have about the topic. This helps students determine a purpose for reading and keeps them focused. From a book entitled Bones: Cells at Work, students generate questions such as "Why are cells important?" and "What can cells do?"

Table of Contents
The class then looks at the titles of chapters in the table of contents. Teachers should demonstrate to ELs how they can read the titles and find the page where the chapter begins. Have students practice looking up chapters from the table of contents.

Key Concepts
ELs need practice identifying the key concept, which is usually identified at the beginning of the book or chapter. A key concept of one of the chapters in the Bones: Cells at Work book is "Sometimes cells get a disease or become damaged and don't work as they should." This provokes questions such as "What happens when bones break?" or " What kind of sickness do bones get?"

Headings and Subheadings
Next have ELs look at the headings and subheadings. In my classroom, this was always a favorite activity because I would bring out the Wikki Stix. These are twistable pieces of yarn covered with wax that students can use to highlight text right in the book. It doesn't hurt the book and can be removed when the lesson is done. Have students highlight the headings with one color and the subheadings with another. Students should also practice making questions from the headings. "Diagrams are pictures that show information" becomes "What are diagrams?"

Stimulate your students' natural curiosity and pique their interest in a chapter or book by taking your ELs on a picture walk. I find this is helpful for students of all ages. Encourage students to discuss each picture, photograph, drawing, or diagram and ask them questions about the pictures they see. When you hear students exclaim, "Look at this!" and "I didn't know that!" from the pictures and other visuals, you know that they are learning something new. Introduce features of nonfiction text that are appropriate for the grade level that you are teaching. After your picture walk, point out features in the book such as captions, labels, maps, timelines, table of contents, glossary, index, and text features.

Text Features
Have ELs look at the text and ask them how they know which vocabulary words are important. Guide them to identify the words that are in color, italics, or bold print. Have students work in small groups to identify words that have each of these features. List text features on a chart and ask students to find and mark examples in the book with brightly colored Post-It notes. There is something magical about Post-Its because students are always excited when they get to use them.

Glossary and Index
Check the glossary to see if the important words are included in the glossary. Look for the important words in the index. Students should learn that the important vocabulary will usually appear in both the glossary and index.

Now students are ready to read the book. When this book is finished, they have not only learned about the conventions of nonfiction text but the content information presented in the book.

What's next? They'll write their own nonfiction book, of course!

About Judie Haynes

Judie Haynes taught elementary ESL for 28 years and is the author and coauthor of eight books for teachers of ELs , the most recent being "Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress" with Debbie Zacarian and Lourdes Alvarez-Ortiz. She was a columnist for the TESOL publication "Essential Teacher" and is also cofounder and comoderator of the Twitter Chat for teachers of English learners #ELLCHAT.

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| Teaching ELs the Features of Nonfiction Text

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In the classrooms that I've visited over the past few years, I found that many ELs, even those ready to exit ESL, were still having difficulties comprehending their science and social studies textbooks. It is important that both ESL and classroom educators teach a unit on the features or conventions of nonfiction text to ELs as early as first grade.

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Including ELL learners in the standard lesson plan is the most effective way of teaching to all students. Accommodations can be worked into the lesson plan by including visuals and fostering healthy communication between students.

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Teaching Tools | Resources for Teachers from Scholastic

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The teacher will provide a hand-out with a graphic organizer depicting text features with their labels. This may assist students with difficulties with listening, seeing, and reading.

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How to Adapt Your Teaching Strategies to Student Needs

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Teachers are often asked to modify instruction to accommodate special needs students. In fact, all students will benefit from the following good teaching practices. The following article takes the mystery out of adapting materials and strategies for curriculum areas.

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Some students may need alternate means of expression. The teacher should allow the student to point to text features or give auditory responses to text feature inquiries.

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Loralie Baum

Students with special and exceptional needs are placed in inclusive learning environments more frequently than in the past. For general educators with a limited special education background, this can often be anxiety provoking and stressful. Every teacher wants to provide the best instruction and education for her students. As a special education teacher for the past ten years, my job has been to support general education teachers when we share responsibility of students with special needs. I work with them to ensure that all students have the necessary resources in order to be successful, and that they themselves can grow and learn as an educator. Here are five strategies that have been successful for working with students in the inclusive classroom.

1. Get to know your students' IEPs/504s

Upon receiving notice that a student with a specific plan is entering your class, it's important to connect with that student's case manager. For a student with a 504 plan, that is usually the school counselor; for a student with an IEP it's either the Special Education Teacher or Resource Specialist. You should receive a brief synopsis of the IEP, often referred to as the "IEP at a Glance" form. This will detail the specific services and minutes each student receives, as well as any accommodations and modifications that are available for them.

One of the most common accommodations for students with special needs is preferential seating. This doesn't always mean in the front row of the classroom right next to the teacher's desk. There are many instances where seating a student in the front row can be catastrophic! Most of the rooms I see are grouped in clusters; I like to make sure that a student I am working with is next to peers they feel comfortable with, and can help explain a concept during collaborative time. Seats away from distractions such as windows or doors is quite helpful for students with attention issues.
Take Action: Check and make sure you have current documents for students in your class. Make a chart with what services each student receives and how frequently. Make note of their next IEP meeting date. If you haven't started one yet, start a folder for student work samples-this will make the Special Educator's job that much easier!
2. Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design is so much more than one of the hottest buzzwords circulating around education circles. It's an approach to curriculum planning and mapping that makes learning engaging and accessible to a wider range of learners with different strengths and needs. UDL builds on Howard Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences , in that it calls for teaching to utilize multiple modalities, and for students to respond to learning with a variety of assessment tools. Educators that recognize the importance of UDL realize that we all learn and express ourselves in different ways, and that in order to assess skills we need to be allowed to use our strengths, while practicing our areas of need at the same time.

A great introduction to the concepts behind UDL can be found at CAST's website .
Take Action: View the video and reflect on your teaching practices. How are you engaging students? How do students show what they know? How are students presented with material?
3. Support Important Life Skills

As a seasoned educator, when I hear the term "life skills", I often think of tasks that are performed by our more severely disabled students, many of whom are not in a general education environment. When I do this, I am shortchanging my students, many who lack very necessary skills they need in order to be a productive and contributing member of society. Many general education mainstream students cannot perform the following simple tasks:

telling time from an analog clock

writing a simple letter

signing their name in cursive

note taking and study skills

Many of the teachers that I work with have a "Study Skills Thursday", where students clean out their backpacks, organize their binders and notebooks, and focus on developing and self-reflecting on both short and long-term goals. I also do locker checks with some of my students. The battle is half won if a student comes to school organized and prepared.
Take Action: Find or create a survey for your students to gauge what essential skills they have, and what they need (I use this Learning Skills and Work Habits Student Self-Assessment Checklist from Teachers Pay teachers). How can you incorporate instruction in these skills into your everyday schedule? Take Action: Try to find a common time to sit and meet with your grade-level Special Education teacher. How can you work together to improve student learning? Draft a plan to hand to your administrator; perhaps you can receive a stipend for your planning time!
4. Engage in Collaborative Planning and Teaching

No classroom is an island, especially an inclusive classroom. Opening up your room to service providers, paraprofessionals, special education teachers, and parents gives you valuable opportunities to participate in collaborative teaching. Collaborative teaching looks differently depending on what school, level, and setting you are working. I am fortunate enough to work in a school where collaborative teaching is encouraged and celebrated. Teachers have common planning times, and professional development time is often set aside for teachers to plan together. This often spans grade levels and subject areas.

5. Develop a strong Behavior Management Plan

Having a successful inclusive classroom depends upon having control of your classroom. It is essential to have clearly communicated expectations and goals, that are accessible to all students. Your classroom environment should be tailored to better suit diverse students' needs. With students' and specialists' input, create a checklist or action plan for students.
Take Action: Look through student IEPs to see if any student has a formal Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). Consult with your Special Education teacher for resources on how to establish and strengthen behavior management in your classroom. If possible, have the SpEd teacher observe and give feedback.
Some specific behavior management strategies that support effective instruction are:

Posting daily schedules

Displaying classroom rules and expectations

Encouraging peer to peer instruction and leadership

Using signals to quiet down, start working, and putting away materials.

Giving students folders, labels and containers to organize supplies.

Checking in with students while they work

Utilizing proactive rather than reactive interventions as needed

Speaking to students privately about any concerns

Employing specific, targeted positive reinforcement when a student meets a behavioral or academic goal.

There are many pieces to the puzzle for creating an effective inclusive classroom. Communication is key, and collaboration with other educators and professionals has a great benefit to all.

5 Effective Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom

Author

Kristin Vogel

Kristin Vogel is a Resource Specialist in San Bruno, CA. She has been teaching in the Bay Area for the past ten years, and has worked in a variety of school settings for students with special needs. Kristin brings a strong sense of social justice pedagogy to her craft, and actively participates in local, state, and national advocacy groups to ensure the best education for all students. She resides in San Francisco, CA, and is a pretty big nerd.

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5 Effective Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom

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Students with special and exceptional needs are placed in inclusive learning environments more frequently than in the past. For general educators with a limited special education background, this can often be anxiety provoking and stressful. Here are five strategies that have been successful for working with students in the inclusive classroom.

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This activity can be completed as a class or individually. The teacher will supply magazines, newspapers, and print-outs that the students will hunt through to find specific text features.

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Going on a text features scavenger hunt is an engaging way to have students practice looking for and analyzing text features. There are several ways to set up a scavenger hunt, depending on the needs of your classroom. Below you'll find 3 possible ways to set up a text features scavenger hunt in your classroom, as well as a free text features scavenger hunt printable!

Interactive Bulletin Board

After teaching students about the different text features (see my Text Features Slideshow or Text Features Charts), have students cut out the different text features they find in old newspapers or magazines and glue/tape them to an interactive bulletin board.

This activity not only reinforces student understanding of text features, but it also gives you a student created poster that students can refer to all year long. And it makes a great anchor chart! (See more text feature anchor chart ideas here.)

You can do this text features scavenger hunt as a one time whole group activity or set it up as a recurring center activity.

Students will easily be able to find the more common text features: headings, photographs, captions, bold words, etc. Encourage them to be on the hunt for less common, but very important text features like diagrams, tables, and labels.

Small Group Poster Project

For a fun small group activity, have students go on a scavenger hunt and create their own text feature poster. Give each group a page from a magazine and have them create a poster that shows all of the text features found on the page, and how the text features help the reader. (Make sure the magazine page has plenty of text features for them to write about.) Groups can present their poster to the class. After all groups have presented, compare the posters, looking for similarities and differences in text features!

These posters can also be posted around the room as student created anchor charts.

For an engaging partner or independent text feature activity, use this free text features scavenger hunt. It is reusable, so you can use it over and over again with different nonfiction books. Students are asked to find and answer questions about different text features in a book.
You can download this printable for free on theText Features Page in my Members Area. Just look for the red "free" next to the resource "Text features Scavenger Hunt #1."
While you are in my Members Area, download some of the other free resources! Anything that has a red "free" next to it can be downloaded for free.

This text features scavenger hunt can also be used as a literacy connection for other subjects like social studies or science. If students are going to be reading a passage from a book or textbook, have them complete the scavenger hunt before reading the text as a fun and meaningful pre-reading activity.

This text features scavenger hunt asks a few higher order thinking questions so that students can think more deeply about text features.

free printable reusable text features

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Text Features Scavenger Hunt - Teaching Made Practical

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Going on a text features scavenger hunt is an engaging way to have students practice looking for and analyzing text features. There are several ways to set up a scavenger hunt, depending on the needs of your classroom.

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The teacher may need to review text features with the class. The teacher may give each student hand-out of the text, then put a copy of the text up on the overhead. The teacher may review the features and ask the students to indicate them on their own copies.

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Learning to Read Nonfiction and Its Text Features | Scholastic

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Students will learn the tools of reading nonfiction, and use think-aloud strategies to prepare to read the selection. They will identify graphic aids and understand their