Text Features

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Text Features

• Information for this presentation is taken from
  the following source
• Readers Handbook, A Student Guide to Reading
  and Learning by Great Source

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Human beings have important elements in their
bodies such as a heart, lungs, blood vessels and
brain. These elements stand out from other
features of our body.
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Textbooks and informational text also have
important elements that stand out from the other
parts of the text.
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While reading informational text, you have
probably seen some or all of the following

• Boldface terms Photos and Illustrations
• Charts Preview
• Glossary Table of contents
• Headings and Titles Caption
• Index Timeline
• Maps

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These are called Text Features and their purpose
is help us understand the information presented.

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Boldface

• boldface type is a signal to Slow Down and Pay
  Attention
• signals that a word, term, or event is important

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Charts

• gives information, show processes or make
  comparisons
• packs lots of information in a small space
• a great resource to help you understand
  information in the text

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Glossary

• alphabetical list of key people, places, events,
  and terms.
• a tool to help you understand the language of the
  subject

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Graphs

• uses pictures and symbols to show information
• a graph is shown to make a point
• always read the graphs title, labels on the
  vertical and horizontal axes, and any other text
  included with the graph

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Headings and Titles

• announces the topics that will be covered
• allows us to be efficient in our reading -- skim
  the headings to focus on the purpose of our
  reading
• increase your comprehension by turning headings
  and titles into a question -- as you continue to
  read, can you answer your question?

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Index

• found at the very back of a textbook
• gives the location of every important idea, term,
  definition, person, and place.
• a search tool to help you find what you need

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MapsWhen reading a map, pay attention to the
following

• Lines Scale
• Symbols Colors
• Labels Legend or Key
• Compass Rose
• Lines of Longitude and Latitude

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Photos and Illustrations

• photos and illustrations are used to emphasize or
  make important points
• read the captions
• captions tell you the reason for putting the
  picture or illustration in the text
• captions say in a few lines, what the author
  takes paragraphs to explain

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PreviewMany textbooks include a preview at the
beginning of chapters.

• acts like a summary
• packs into one small space, all of the important
  things to know about a chapter
• key terms and important vocabulary will often be
  listed in the preview

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There are additional text features such as color,
italics, underlining, examples, insets and many,
many more!!!!
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Authors use text features to bring attention to
important details.
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And now you are saying, So What?.
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Heres the, So What!. Putting text features
into use will help you understand more of your
reading, and probably allow you to do it in less
time!!!!
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You can use text features to become more
successful and efficient in your reading of
informational text.
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So next time you have a reading assignment to
complete, pay attention to the text features as
you read. See if you can put them to use to
increase your comprehension and maybe you will
even finish your assignment in less time.