Same Reading › Comprehension › Text structures
What are text structures?
Text structure is how a piece of nonfiction is organized. The five main ones are description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem and solution. Signal words like first, both, because and to solve this give them away.
- Five common structures organize most nonfiction.
- Signal words hint at which one you're reading.
- Knowing the structure helps kids find the important ideas.
Why schools teach it
Structure tells you what to look for
If a passage compares frogs and toads, the key information is how they're alike and different. Third graders describe connections like comparison and cause and effect (RI.3.8), and fourth graders describe a text's overall structure (RI.4.5).
Each structure has a matching graphic organizer, like a Venn diagram for compare and contrast or a flow chart for sequence, which helps kids take notes and summarize.
At the kitchen table
What to say, and what to skip
Say this
What words give you a clue about how it's organized?
Is it telling steps in order, or comparing things?
What problem is described? How is it solved?
Which organizer would fit this text?
Skip this
- Expecting one structure per passage.Longer texts mix structures. Find the main one.
- Relying only on signal words.Words like then show up everywhere. Check the whole passage.
- Treating it as a labeling quiz.The point is understanding the ideas, not just naming the type.
See it in action
Spotting cause and effect
Read the paragraph
“Because it rained for five days, the river rose. As a result, the park flooded.”Circle the signal words
because · as a resultName the cause and the effect
rain (cause) → river rose → park flooded (effect)
Cause-and-effect texts often form a chain: one effect causes the next.
Free practice sheet
Make a text structures sheet
Loading practice sheet…
Fridge cheat sheets
Reading Fridge Cheat Sheets
Every reading method in one printable book (107 pages): a cheat sheet page like this guide, plus a practice sheet and its answer key for each, in Classic and handwritten Notebook styles. $9 one time, or all 7 subjects for $29.99. See all prices.
Teacher? This method has a classroom pack on TeachersPayTeachers: an anchor chart, a parent letter and practice sheets with answer keys, $4. See the pack
Parents: tell your child's teacher about this guide
Parents also ask
Do stories have text structures?
Stories have plot structure. These five are mostly for nonfiction.
What are common signal words?
Sequence: first, next, then, finally. Compare: both, but, while. Cause and effect: because, so, as a result. Problem and solution: problem, to solve.
Why does this help comprehension?
It tells your child what kind of information to look for and remember.
Which graphic organizers go with each?
Sequence: flow chart. Compare: Venn diagram. Cause and effect: arrows. Problem and solution: a two-box chart. Description: a web.