Text Structure | Parent Activity Guide

What is Text Structure?

Text structure is the way an author organizes information in a piece of writing. Understanding text structure helps readers find information more quickly, understand relationships between ideas, and remember what they read. Authors use signal words to show readers how the text is organized.

On Florida's FAST assessment, fourth graders must identify text structures and explain how they help communicate information.

The Five Text Structures

Structure	Purpose	Signal Words
Cause/Effect	Explains why something happens and what happens as a result	because, as a result, therefore, so, due to, consequently
Compare/Contrast	Shows how things are alike or different	similarly, however, unlike, both, but, on the other hand
Problem/Solution	Presents a problem and one or more solutions	the problem is, one solution, solved by, the answer is
Sequence	Presents events or steps in order	first, next, then, finally, before, after, later
Description	Describes characteristics and features	for example, such as, includes, in addition, also

Activities to Try at Home

📰 News Article Hunt

Look at news articles or magazine articles together:

Find articles about problems in the community - identify the problem/solution structure
Look at "how-to" articles - notice the sequence structure
Read product comparisons - spot the compare/contrast structure
Look for cause/effect in science or health articles

🍳 Recipe Structure

Recipes are a perfect example of sequence structure!

Cook together and point out the signal words: first, next, then
Discuss why order matters - what would happen if steps were mixed up?
Have your child write a recipe for their favorite snack using sequence words

🔍 Signal Word Detective

Turn finding signal words into a game:

Read a paragraph and challenge your child to find all the signal words
Use different colored highlighters for different structure types
See how quickly they can identify the structure based on the signal words

📚 Textbook Structure Hunt

Science and social studies textbooks are full of text structures:

Look at chapter sections about historical events (sequence)
Find sections comparing two animals, cultures, or places (compare/contrast)
Read about environmental issues (often problem/solution)
Identify cause/effect in science experiments and natural phenomena

Text Structure Is Everywhere!

Game instructions = Sequence (first set up the board, then deal cards...)
Medicine labels = Cause/Effect (take this medication because...)
Restaurant menus = Description (this dish includes...)
Car commercials = Compare/Contrast (unlike other cars...)
Community flyers = Problem/Solution (help solve litter by...)

Questions to Ask While Reading

"How did the author organize this information?"
"What signal words do you see? What do they tell us?"
"Is this passage showing how things are similar or different?"
"Is there a problem in this passage? How is it solved?"
"Does the order of information matter here?"
"Why do you think the author chose to organize it this way?"

Parent Tip: Graphic Organizers Help!

Different structures work well with different graphic organizers. Try using:

Venn diagrams for compare/contrast
Flowcharts or timelines for sequence
T-charts for cause/effect
Web diagrams for description
Two-column charts for problem/solution

Quick Practice: Identify the Structure

Read these sentences with your child and identify the text structure together:

"First, crack the eggs into a bowl. Then, add milk and whisk. Finally, pour into a hot pan." (Sequence)
"Both alligators and crocodiles are reptiles. However, alligators have wider snouts, while crocodiles have V-shaped snouts." (Compare/Contrast)
"Because it rained heavily, the river flooded. As a result, many roads were closed." (Cause/Effect)
"The problem was that plastic bags were harming wildlife. One solution was to switch to reusable bags." (Problem/Solution)
"Butterflies have many interesting features. For example, they taste with their feet and have compound eyes." (Description)

Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)

Estructura del Texto: La estructura del texto es como el autor organiza la informacion. Hay cinco tipos principales:

Causa y Efecto: Explica por que algo pasa (porque, como resultado)
Comparar y Contrastar: Muestra similitudes y diferencias (sin embargo, ambos)
Problema y Solucion: Presenta un problema y soluciones
Secuencia: Eventos en orden (primero, luego, finalmente)
Descripcion: Describe caracteristicas (por ejemplo, incluye)

Actividades: Busquen estructuras de texto en recetas, articulos de noticias, y libros de texto. Pregunten: "Como organizo el autor esta informacion?"

Text Structure - Parent Activity Guide