What is a common strategy for teaching text features in informational texts?

Focusing on explicit instruction that highlights text features such as headings, captions, and the index is an effective strategy for teaching informational texts. This method allows educators to directly engage students with specific elements of the text that are important for comprehension and navigation.

By doing this, students learn to identify and understand the purpose of these features, which can help them locate information more efficiently and enhance their overall understanding of the content. For example, headings organize the information, captions provide context to visuals, and the index facilitates quick referencing of topics. Through explicit instruction, teachers can model how to use these features effectively, ensuring that students develop the skills needed to approach informational texts independently in the future.

Other strategies, while useful in various contexts, do not focus specifically on teaching text features. Collaborative reading groups might encourage discussion and peer learning, but they do not guarantee that students will grasp the function of specific text features. Independent reading assignments could reinforce content comprehension, but without targeted instruction, students might overlook the significance of text features. Text annotation, although beneficial, requires guidance to ensure students know what to focus on, making it less effective without proper instruction on text features.