Text Features Teaching Resources

Help students use text features in nonfiction and fiction texts with printable worksheets, activities and more teaching resources created by our teacher team just for elementary teachers.

This teaching resource collection includes TEKS and Common Core curriculum-aligned activities and worksheets designed to help students identify and explore the various features writers and authors use to make text more readable. Editable resources are available to easily differentiate instruction for individual learners and your state standards.

Has it been a while since you taught ELA, or at least this particular part of the curriculum? Read on for a primer from our teacher team about teaching text features! Maybe you already know this, but bear with us. Just like our students, sometimes we could use a little refresher!

What Are Text Features? A Kid-Friendly Definition

You know what a text feature is ... but how do you explain the concept to your students? Here's a simple definition you can use with your students!

Text features are the parts of a text that give the reader additional information. They help make the text more organized and easier to read.

16 Text Feature Examples to Share With Your Students

So what are some text features you can identify in your lesson plans? Let's take a look at the most common examples students can use to navigate various types of texts effectively.

Title

Another word for the name of the text, the title is usually found at the beginning. It provides a general idea of the topic or subject matter.

Heading/Subheading

Headings and subheadings are titles within a fiction or nonfiction text that indicate different topics or subtopics covered. They help our students locate specific information. They also provide an overview of the text's structure.

Subtitles

Subtitles are smaller headings within a section of text that divide the content into smaller, more manageable parts. These features can help readers (like our students!) identify and comprehend specific ideas or sections within a larger text.

Table of Contents

The table of contents can be found at the beginning of a book or long text. This handy tool lists the main sections or chapters and their corresponding page numbers. This table is especially helpful if you're trying to find specific information quickly!

Glossary

If a text introduces new vocabulary words, students can head to the glossary. This list of important terms and their definitions is typically found at the end of a book or text.

Index

The index is also typically located at the end of a book. This tool — mostly found in nonfiction texts — provides the reader with an alphabetical list of topics or keywords covered in the text, along with the corresponding page numbers. Like the table of contents, the index is useful when you need to find information fast.

Captions

Captions are brief explanations or descriptions located near images or illustrations. These lines of text provide additional information about the visual content and help readers understand its relevance to the text.

Illustrations/Photographs

Visual representations, such as drawings or photographs, are all features that can support the text and provide additional information or clarification.

Diagrams/Charts/Graphs

Like photos and illustrations, charts, diagrams and graphs offer a visual representation of data or information to make it easier for the reader to comprehend. This text feature helps the writer present it in a more organized and understandable format.

Maps

Another form of visual representation that shows up in text is the map, a text feature that shows geographic locations or regions. Maps help readers understand the spatial relationships between places mentioned in the text.

Labels

Sometimes a text will have words or phrases attached to specific parts of an illustration or diagram to identify or explain them. These labels can help readers understand the different elements or components within the visual representation.

Bullets/Numbered Lists

Lists are sometimes used in texts to present information in an organized manner. Bullets are typically used for items that are not in a specific order, while numbered lists indicate a sequence or hierarchy.

Sidebar

A small section of text that is included alongside the main text is called a sidebar.

This type of text feature contains additional information related to the main topic, such as interesting facts, definitions or examples that can enhance the reader's understanding.

Bold/Italicized/Underlined Text

Formatting features such as bolding or italicizing words or adding an underline can help draw the reader's attention to specific words or phrases.

• Bold text — Indicates important or emphasized information
• Italicized text — Used for titles of books or works and words written in other languages
• Underlined text  — Used for hyperlinks in digital texts

Footnotes/Endnotes

Another helpful text feature most often seen in non-fiction texts, footnotes and endnotes are additional explanations, comments, or references located at the bottom of a page (footnotes) or at the end of a text (endnotes). They provide supplementary information without interrupting the flow of the main text.

Text Boxes

A final example of text features is the text box. These separate sections within a text highlight important or additional information. Because they're visually distinct from the main text, they help draw the reader's attention to specific details or ideas.