Information Text Features

How does a caption help a reader understand an informational text?

• It explains a photograph or illustration and gives information that may not be in the text

• It provides the reader with an image to show a visual representation of the text

• it provides the meaning of a word

• It summarizes the overall meaning of the text

Lists the major parts of the book along with their page numbers, helps readers to locate information in a book or magazine and see how everything is organized, located in the front of the book.

• index

• table of contents

• glossary

• timelines

Help the reader understand information that may or may not be in the text, describes an illustration

• heading

• subtitle

• caption

• title

Visual representation of facts and details

• heading/subheadings

• title

• timeline

• tables and graphs

Help the reader better understand the order of events and how one event may have led to another, show important events in chronological order

• timeline

• caption

• title

• heading

Tells the reader the topic of the text, helps the reader by letting them know what they are about to read.

• captions

• heading/subheadings

• title

• graphs

helps you figure out the pronunciation of a word, key words are defined, generally found in the back of the book.

• index

• table of contents

• timelines

• glossary

help the reader to locate information in the text, printed in large or bold print to make them stand out.

• headings/subheadings

• captions

• titles

• index

present information in a visual way, allow readers to have a visual of the topic

• captions

• titles

• photographs/illustrations

• glossary

Why would a reader use a glossary when reading an informational text?

• To find a specific topic

• To find the meaning of a bold or highlighted work from the text

• to find out more information about the topic

• to locate information to see how it is organized