What are Text Features Examples?

What are Text Features in 2nd Grade?

Where to begin? I always make an anchor chart with the children that we keep up all year long.  Creating a 2nd-grade text features anchor chart should be easy to view and full of examples.  Everything should be labeled and use real-world examples when possible.  

This anchor chart from Keeping Up With Mrs. Harris is a perfect example.

How to Teach Nonfiction Text Features

Text features help us READ a book.  They add more details than just reading text alone.  I would grab a Skeletal Muscle Book and begin reading something out of it that I knew they would not understand.  Then I would show them the diagram that went along with it and they quickly understand how they can use this feature to better comprehend their reading of nonfiction!

I found it very helpful to pull out loads of nonfiction books and let the students take a *BOOK LOOK*.  We would start with the cover and begin defining and sharing with our neighbors the different text features they found in the book. In my text features units, I include a reference sheet that guides them through the different features to look for. 

Be sure to tell them that often during an assessment the answers may only be found in the caption or in a diagram.  They must read these features just like they would a paragraph.

For additional help, I always show a few videos, and Brainpop Jr. has a great recap of different text features available.  

What Are the Common Core Standards:

• 1st Grade: 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.
• 2nd Grade: Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
• 3rd Grade: Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

Text Features Worksheets

Practice, Practice, Practice!!! This is not a “once and done” standard.  Because they repeat the standard in first, second, and third grade, they need to fully understand the WHY behind it.  It helps us read nonfiction text easier.

I created a 2nd-grade Nonfiction Text Features practice unit to allow for continuous review throughout the year.  I love pulling these out for the end-of-the-year review!  They are also great for a substitute to read over and review with the children since they are familiar with the handout.

I also have 3rd-grade Text Features Worksheets that are perfect for the year-end test prep! I have included in this review pack the mini-unit I use to initially teach text features.  This includes lesson plans for teaching text features and a book-look guide to help them practice finding text features in nonfiction texts.

There are interactive notebook pages included to help learn the vocabulary.  They have vocab flaps that have the definitions mixed up so they can determine the correct definition.  This is perfect for reviewing and getting the definitions in front of them at year-end.  I also added the text features resource pages for student reference and text features examples.

There are so many ways to practice text features.  Often I would bring in appropriate magazines and have them go on a Text Features Search for 2-3 features.  This is a great exercise to do with a partner. Another idea, in Small Group Reading, I always begin with a book-look to see how many texts features we could find!

I love incorporating Science into Small Group Reading!  For more ways to include text features click here to read more!  I have also included a great text features FREEBIE in this post!

Pretty soon, your students will be bringing you their library book to point out a text feature!  Teach On!!