Text+Organization

The goal in teaching text organization is to make students more aware of the ways that textual information are arranged and organized to ease reading. Without this, they will have continued difficulty making best use of the text.

This will include the use of headings, fonts, pictures, maps, etc. Students should not read a textbook like a tradebook. They should be looking over the page first, reviewing the pictures and maps, reading the captions below these things, noticing the headings and how they are a reflection of the general outline of the chapter.

In addition, consider discussing and reviewing the organization of texts outside of the textbook. Is it a comparison/contrast piece? Does it make comparisons point by point or does it describe one side entirely and then describe the other side? Might it be problem/solution, cause and effect or sequence?

Have students explain what leads them to believe that it is organized in a particular way. Are there key words or transitions that give away the organization?

Check out this to get a clearer picture of what text organization can mean and hopefully come away with a clearer picture of what you can do to help students master this elusive skill.

Some other resources:


 * A [[file:Text Structures.pdf]] explanation with a cogent, simple model for teaching them in a way that will be successful. This will only take a few moments but your students will be much more prepared for what they are about to read. Know that your students will need you to take a few moments prior to reading to prepare them for this.


 * Handoutwith some advice on reading textbooks.


 * Comparison Contrast Chart (if you are sick of Venn)


 * Graphic Organizers--many of us use graphic organizers to help students plan writing and other assignments, but using them in reverse to identify and map out the essential organization of a piece can be a highly valuable exercise[[file:Middle Level Comprehension Nonlinguistic Representations.2.doc]]