Knowledge and Skills Statement
While reading a text aloud, use an anchor chart to illustrate the organization of the text. Begin the anchor chart by modeling ideas and then encourage students to share their ideas as you build the chart as a group. After the chart has been completed, ask students to analyze the structure of the information on the chart and thus the text. Then, have students explain why the author may have decided to organize the text in such a way.
Further Explanation
This assessment item requires students to describe how an author organizes ideas in a text to accomplish a particular purpose. Students should be able to explain how the text structure helps the author achieve the purpose.
Research
Meyer, B. J., & Ray, M. N. (2011). Structure strategy interventions: increasing reading comprehension of expository text. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education,4(1), 127–152. Accessed online at https://eric.ed.gov/?q=expository+text&pr=on&ft=on&id=EJ1070453
Summary: In this literature review, researchers examine empirical studies designed to teach the structure strategy to increase reading comprehension of expository texts. Strategy interventions employ modeling, practice, and feedback to teach students how to use text structure strategically and eventually automatically. The analysis suggests that direct instruction, modeling, scaffolding, elaborated feedback, and adaptation of instruction to student performance are keys in teaching students to strategically use knowledge about text structure.