English Language Arts and Reading.4.9.D.ii

The student is expected to

recognize characteristics and structures of informational text, including:

 

features such as pronunciation guides and diagrams to support understanding; and

multiple genres TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Multiple genres: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts--genres. The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.

While reading an informational text of which all students have a copy, point out features that are specific to the text as informational such as a pronunciation guide or a diagram. Ask students to consider the way in which text features support comprehension of the text. Have students imagine that those features were not included in the text and predict how reading the text would be different.

Possible Questions:

  • If the timeline was not included, how would comprehension of the text be different?
  • How does the pronunciation guide assist the reader?
  • What is the purpose of including the illustration/photo/diagram in the text?
     

Further Explanation

This assessment item provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate an ability to identify various text features that are common to informational texts and explain how these features help the reader to better understand what the author is attempting to share.

Students should learn to identify various text features common to informational texts and develop knowledge of how these features help the reader better understand what the author is saying. For example, a science article about an existing ecosystem might include a labeled diagram of a food web to provide a visual explanation of the information that the author has presented.
a text that presents information to explain, clarify, and/or educate
the set of graphic symbols used to accurately represent the phonetic sounds of a language
In reading, students are expected to have a clear idea of the particular attributes of informational texts. Students should know that informational text has unique characteristics, such as a central idea, and often includes graphic features, such as tables and diagrams. Students should also recognize the way an informational text is structured or organized. For example, an author may choose to organize an article using a compare-and-contrast approach to draw attention to the pros and cons of a particular topic or a chronological structure when explaining the timeline of a developing issue.
all the components of a text that help convey meaning but are not the main body of text (e.g., sections, tables, graphs, timelines, bullets, numbers, bold and italicized font, pronunciation guide, diagrams, insets, timelines, sidebars, introduction, foreword, preface, references, acknowledgements, footnotes, endnotes, citations)