Text Structure

What is text structure?

Text structure is the way a nonfiction writer organizes ideas on the page. The same facts can be arranged to walk you through steps, to explain why something happens, to weigh two things side by side, to name a problem and its fix, or simply to describe. Good readers notice the shape of a passage, because the shape tells you what to look for and what will come next.

The five structures — and their signal words

• Sequence — steps or events in order (first, next, then, finally, after).
• Cause & Effect — why something happens and what it causes (because, so, as a result, since).
• Compare & Contrast — how two things are alike and different (both, alike, different, however, while).
• Problem & Solution — a problem is named, then solved (problem, solution, to solve, so).
• Description — details and features that paint a picture (for example, for instance, characteristics, such as).

How to use it

• Read the paragraph — tap it (or the speaker button) to hear it read aloud.
• Watch the amber signal words; they are the strongest clue to the structure.
• Tap the structure you think fits. A correct choice turns green and shows the structure’s name, a small icon, and the exact signal words that gave it away; a miss gives a gentle nudge to try again.
• Use the always-on legend to match the highlighted words to a structure, and press Next or Shuffle for a new paragraph.

Why it helps

Recognizing text structure is one of the biggest boosts to reading comprehension there is. When a reader knows a passage is cause-and-effect, they read for causes; when it’s compare-and-contrast, they track likenesses and differences. Spotting the signal words makes that thinking automatic — and the very same structures power clear nonfiction writing, too.

Good for

Best for grades 4–8, and a quick, low-pressure warm-up for any older student reviewing informational reading or getting ready to write a well-organized paragraph or essay.