Types of Text Features

Types of Text Features in Nonfiction Texts

The different types of text features help readers find information and understand nonfiction texts. Headings, captions, diagrams, maps, and other features often provide details that are not included in the main paragraphs.

Readers need to learn that every part of the page can carry meaning. This list of text features explains the most common examples and how each one helps the reader.

What Are Text Features?

Text features are parts of a nonfiction text that stand out from the main paragraphs. They help organize information, explain ideas, show important details, or make the topic easier to understand.

Common examples include headings, captions, photographs, diagrams, maps, charts, bold words, glossaries, and indexes.

Why Are Text Features Important?

Text features are important because they help readers know where to look and what to notice. They can also give information that may not be repeated in the main text.

I once gave students a reading test with a question they could not answer. They searched the passage several times, but the answer was not in the paragraphs. It was in one of the text features.

That moment reminded me how easy it is for students to skip over important parts of a nonfiction page. They may read the paragraphs carefully but miss the captions, diagrams, maps, and headings around them.

A List of Text Features in Nonfiction Texts

There are many text features readers may see when reading nonfiction. Some help organize the text, while others add visual information or explain key details.

For this post, the list of text features is grouped into three categories:

• Organizational text features
• Visual text features
• Print text features

This makes it easier for readers to understand how each feature supports the reader.

Organizational Text Features

Organizational text features help readers move through a nonfiction text. They show how the information is arranged and make it easier to find specific details.

These features are especially helpful when readers are exploring longer articles, textbooks, or nonfiction books. Instead of reading every page from beginning to end, readers can use organizational text features to preview, skim, scan, and locate information.

Heading

A heading tells readers what a section of text is mostly about. It often appears at the beginning of a new section.

Headings help readers stop and think, “What will this part teach me?” They also make it easier to go back and find information later.

Subheading

A subheading breaks a larger section into smaller parts. It gives readers a more specific idea of what they will learn.

Subheadings are helpful because they make long sections feel more manageable. They also help readers notice how the details are grouped.

Bullet Points

Bullet points organize information into a short, easy-to-read list. They help readers notice key details without reading a full paragraph.

Readers can use bullet points to find important facts quickly. They also help make information feel less overwhelming.

Table of Contents

A table of contents is usually found near the beginning of a book. It lists the chapters or sections and tells readers where to find them.

Readers can use the table of contents to preview the text before reading. It also helps them quickly find the chapter or topic they need.

Index

An index is usually found at the end of a nonfiction book. It lists important topics, names, and ideas in alphabetical order.

The index helps readers find specific information quickly. This is useful when they are researching or looking for one detail.

Glossary

A glossary is a list of important words and their meanings. It is usually found near the end of a nonfiction text.

Glossaries help readers understand topic-specific vocabulary. They are especially useful when reading about science, social studies, or unfamiliar topics.

Timeline

A timeline shows events in the order they happened. It helps readers understand when events took place and how they connect.

Timelines are helpful when readers are reading biographies, history texts, or articles about changes over time.

Visual Text Features

Visual text features help readers understand information by showing it in a different way. Instead of only reading words, readers can look closely at images, drawings, and displays of information.

These features are helpful because they can make abstract or unfamiliar ideas easier to understand. They also give readers another way to gather details from the text.

Photograph

A photograph shows a real person, place, object, or event. It helps readers see what something actually looks like.

Photographs are especially helpful in nonfiction because they make the topic feel more real. Readers can use them to notice details that may not be fully explained in the paragraphs.

Illustration

An illustration is a drawing or picture that supports the text. It may show something real, imagined, or simplified.

Illustrations can help readers picture an idea more clearly. They are useful when a photograph is not available or when a drawing can show the information better.

Diagram

A diagram shows the parts of something and how they work together. It often includes labels to identify important parts.

Diagrams help readers understand objects, systems, or processes. They are especially useful in science texts, how-to articles, and nonfiction books.

Map

A map shows where places are located. It may show countries, states, landforms, routes, or important locations.

Maps help readers understand where something happened or where something can be found. They are especially helpful when reading about history, geography, or travel.

Chart

A chart organizes information in a clear way. It may compare details, show categories, or present facts in rows and columns.

Charts help readers see information quickly. They can also make it easier to compare details without rereading full paragraphs.

Graph

A graph shows information using numbers, lines, bars, or pictures. It helps readers understand data and notice patterns.

Graphs are helpful when readers need to compare amounts, track changes, or understand survey results. They turn numbers into a visual form that is easier to study.

Print Text Features

Print text features help certain words, details, or sections stand out on the page. They guide readers toward important information and help them notice what the author wants to emphasize.

These features are helpful because nonfiction pages can include a lot of information at once. Print text features give readers clues about which words, facts, or explanations deserve extra attention.

Bold Print

Bold print is darker or thicker than the surrounding words. Authors often use bold print to show important vocabulary or key ideas.

When readers see bold print, they should slow down and think about why that word or phrase stands out. Sometimes bold words are also defined in a glossary.

Italics

Italics are letters that slant to the side. Authors may use italics to emphasize a word, show a title, or highlight an important term.

Italics tell readers that the word or phrase has a special purpose. Readers should pay attention to how the italicized words connect to the topic.

Colored Print

Colored print uses a different color to make words or phrases stand out. It may be used for headings, vocabulary words, labels, or important facts.

Colored print helps readers notice information quickly. It can also make the page easier to scan.

Caption

A caption is a short explanation near a photograph, illustration, diagram, or other visual. It tells readers more about what they are seeing.

Captions are important because they often include information that is not repeated in the main text. Readers should read the caption and look back at the visual to connect the two.

Label

A label names a specific part of a picture, diagram, map, or chart. It helps readers identify what they are looking at.

Labels are especially helpful when a visual has several parts. They make the information easier to understand without needing a long explanation.

Text Box

A text box is a small section of text set apart from the main paragraphs. It may include extra facts, examples, definitions, or interesting details.

Text boxes help readers learn more about the topic without interrupting the main text. They are useful for adding information that supports the larger idea.

Footnote

A footnote is a note placed at the bottom of a page. It gives extra information about something in the text.

Footnotes may explain a word, cite a source, or add a helpful detail. Readers can use footnotes to better understand the text without leaving the page.

Understanding the Purpose of Text Features

Different types of text features serve different purposes. Some help readers find information quickly, while others explain ideas, show visuals, or define important words.

For example, a heading helps readers know what a section is about. A diagram can show how something works. A caption can explain a photograph or illustration. A glossary can help readers understand important vocabulary.

When readers understand the purpose of each text feature, they are more likely to use it instead of skipping over it.

Text Features Activities for Upper Elementary

Once readers understand the different types of text features, they need practice noticing them in real nonfiction texts. They can look at headings, captions, diagrams, maps, bold words, and other features to decide what each one adds to the page.

This is also a good time to have readers explain the purpose of each feature. Instead of only naming a text feature, they can ask, “How does this help me understand the topic?”

For more lesson ideas, you can read this post about teaching nonfiction text features.

Free Text Features Scavenger Hunt

After readers learn about the different types of text features, they need time to find them in real nonfiction texts.

This free nonfiction text features scavenger hunt gives readers a simple way to look for headings, captions, diagrams, maps, glossaries, and other features while they read. It is an easy activity to use with nonfiction books, magazines, articles, or classroom texts.

You can grab the free text features scavenger hunt here.

Frequently Asked Questions About Text Features

What are text features?

Text features are parts of a nonfiction text that stand out from the main paragraphs. They help readers find information, understand ideas, and notice important details. Examples include headings, captions, diagrams, maps, charts, glossaries, and indexes.

What are the different types of text features?

The different types of text features can be grouped into organizational text features, visual text features, and print text features. Organizational features help readers move through the text. Visual features show information in another way. Print features help important words and details stand out.

What are examples of text features?

Examples of text features include headings, subheadings, a table of contents, an index, a glossary, timelines, bullet points, photographs, illustrations, diagrams, maps, charts, graphs, captions, labels, bold print, italics, colored print, text boxes, and footnotes.

What is the purpose of text features?

The purpose of text features is to help readers understand nonfiction text. Text features can organize information, explain important details, show visuals, define vocabulary, or help readers find specific information quickly.

Why are text features important in nonfiction?

Text features are important in nonfiction because they help readers understand the whole page, not just the paragraphs. Captions, diagrams, maps, headings, and other features may include information that is not repeated in the main text.

What is the difference between text features and text structure?

Text features are parts of the page, such as headings, captions, maps, and diagrams. Text structure is how the author organizes the information in the text, using structures like description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, or problem and solution.