AN

INTRODUCTION
TO NONFICTION
TEXT FEATURES
 TEXT FEATURES ARE THE PARTS OF A
NONFICTION BOOK THAT HELP YOU FIND
INFORMATION EASILY OR TELL YOU MORE ABOUT
THE TOPIC.

SOME EXAMPLES ARE:

• Titles • Captions
• Table of Contents • Bold words
• Headings/Subheadings • Glossary
• Photographs • Index
• Illustrations • Electronic Menu
• Diagrams • Icons
 TITLE: THE NAME OF THE BOOK
• Titles tell the reader the topic of the text.
• Titles show the main idea of the text.
• Titles help the reader by letting them know
what they are about to read.
• Titles focus the reader on a topic so they can
make connections between what they already
know and the text.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS:
GIVES THE HEADING AND BEGINNING PAGE
NUMBER FOR EACH SECTION OF THE BOOK

Table of Contents • The table of contents shows how the book

is organized so you can find information
Flowers………………..…………..3 more easily.
Vegetables………………..……....9
Fruit………………………............12
• The heading titles give the reader an
Trees…………………………….15 outline of what the book is about.
Glossary………………………...20
Index……………………………24
 HEADINGS/SUBHEADINGS:
DIVIDE THE TEXT INTO SECTIONS
• Headings tell the main idea of each
section of text.
• Subheadings chunk text into smaller
pieces under a heading.
• Headings and subheadings are printed
in large or bold type to make them stand
out.
• Headings and subheadings help the
reader to locate information in the text
by telling them where to look.
 PHOTOGRAPHS:
A PICTURE TAKEN WITH A CAMERA THAT
SHOW HOW SOMETHING LOOKS IN REAL LIFE

• Photographs show
how something looks,
which helps the reader
better understand the
topic they are reading
about.
ILLUSTRATIONS: A HAND-DRAWN PICTURE

• Illustrations
help the reader
“see” what is
being talked
about in the
text.
 DIAGRAMS:
A DRAWING THAT SHOWS THE PART OF
SOMETHING
• Diagrams show the reader the
parts of something to help them
better understand what is in the
text.
• Diagrams include labels for each
part.
 CAPTIONS:
THE WORDS NEXT TO OR BELOW A PICTURE
THAT TELL WHAT IT IS OR WHAT IT IS ABOUT
• A caption explains what is
shown in a photograph or
illustration.
• Captions help the reader
understand information that
may or may not be in the
text.
 BOLD WORDS:
IMPORTANT WORDS THAT ARE DARKER THAN
THE TEXT AROUND THEM

• Bold words tell the reader to pay attention – these words are important!
• Bold words can be used for titles, headings, and key words like important
vocabulary words.
• Sometimes the important words will be a different color or in italics.
• Sometimes the meaning of the important words can be found in the glossary.
 GLOSSARY:
TELLS WHAT IMPORTANT WORDS MEAN
• A glossary is like a small dictionary of
words. It tells or shows what words Glossary

mean. flower: the part of the plant that makes new seeds
• The words in the glossary are in fruit: the part of the plant that holds the seeds
alphabetical order.
seed: the part of the plant that can grow into a new
• The words in the glossary were used plant
in the book.
• A glossary is usually found at the end
of the book or near the back.
 INDEX:
A LIST OF THE TOPICS AND PEOPLE IN THE
TEXT
Index
• An index is listed in alphabetical order.
butterfly
food………………………..10 • An index is found at or near the end of a text.
life cycle…………………...... 7
types of....…………………..12 • An index is a way to quickly find information
caterpillars…………………….6 that is in the text. The reader can use key words
or people’s names to help them locate
Gibbons, Gail…..…………...…1
information in the text. The index gives the
page number where you can find the
information.
 ELECTRONIC MENU: A LIST OF THINGS YOU
CAN CHOOSE FROM TO DO SOMETHING ON THE
COMPUTER
• An electronic menu gives you options,
just like a menu at your favorite place
to eat.
• An electronic menu lists all of your
options. It helps the user know what is
on the computer program or website.
• An electronic menu helps you
navigate, or find your way, around a
screen shot from www.starfall.com program or website.
 ICON:
A PICTURE THAT REPRESENTS SOMETHING
ELSE
• Icons can be used to find
information in a computer
program or website.
• The picture in the icon
represents the information
that you can find or the task
that you can do.
screen shot from www.starfall.com
WHY ARE TEXT FEATURES IMPORTANT?

• Text features help the reader to quickly find important information.

• Text features teach the reader about the topic.
• Text features can help the reader answer questions about a topic and the text
they are reading.