Grade 8 Reading | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.8.R.2.1
Authors don't just throw information onto the page - they organize it deliberately. The structure an author chooses affects how we understand and experience a text. You'll learn to identify different organizational patterns in both informational and literary texts, analyze WHY authors choose specific structures, and explain how those choices create meaning and effects.
Think of text structure like architecture. Just as an architect chooses whether to design a building as a skyscraper, a house, or a stadium based on its PURPOSE, authors choose how to organize their texts based on what they want to communicate. The structure isn't just decoration - it shapes meaning.
Two key questions to ask:
These patterns help authors present facts, ideas, and explanations:
Events in TIME order - what happened first, next, last.
Purpose: Show how events unfolded; explain processes step-by-step
Shows WHY something happened (cause) and what RESULTED (effect).
Purpose: Explain reasons and consequences; show connections
Shows SIMILARITIES and DIFFERENCES between things.
Purpose: Help readers understand by showing relationships
Presents a PROBLEM and one or more SOLUTIONS.
Purpose: Analyze issues and propose or evaluate responses
Remember: Complex texts often use MULTIPLE structures. An article might be mostly problem/solution but include a cause/effect section explaining WHY the problem exists.
Authors of stories have even more choices about how to organize their narratives:
Events told in the order they happened - beginning to end.
Effect: Straightforward; reader experiences events as character does
Story INTERRUPTS present time to show past events, then returns.
Effect: Reveals background; explains character motivations; creates mystery
Story jumps AHEAD to show future events, then returns to present.
Effect: Creates suspense; makes reader wonder how we get there
A "story within a story" - outer story "frames" or contains inner story.
Effect: Provides context; creates layers of meaning; adds perspective
Read this opening. Notice how the structure shapes your experience:
"The trophy sits on my shelf now, collecting dust. Most people assume I'm proud of it. They don't know that every time I look at it, I remember the worst decision of my life.
It was the championship game, three years ago. The score was tied with ten seconds left..."
Present moment: Narrator looking at trophy, hinting at regret
Flashback begins: "three years ago" - story jumps to past
Effect: Before we even see what happened, we know the narrator regrets it. This creates tension - we read the flashback KNOWING something goes wrong, which changes how we interpret every detail.
On the FAST test, you won't just identify structures - you'll explain what EFFECT they create. Here's the difference:
Always connect: Structure → Effect on reader → Support for author's purpose
Beyond overall structure, authors use text features to organize and clarify information:
| Feature | What It Does | How It Helps Readers |
|---|---|---|
| Headings/Subheadings | Divide text into sections | Preview content; help locate information; show organization |
| Bold/Italic Text | Emphasize key terms or ideas | Signal importance; identify vocabulary |
| Graphics/Charts | Present data visually | Clarify complex information; show relationships |
| Sidebars | Provide related but separate information | Add depth without disrupting main text flow |
| Captions | Explain images or graphics | Connect visuals to text; add information |
"The Mississippi River flood of 1927 was devastating. Because levees had been built too close to the river, they couldn't contain the swollen waters. As a result, over 27,000 square miles flooded, displacing hundreds of thousands of people. This disaster led to the Flood Control Act of 1928, which changed how America manages rivers."
Structure:
Signal word:
Remember: Authors make deliberate choices. Every structural decision serves a purpose - your job is to explain what that purpose is and how the structure achieves it!