Text Structures
Provides details about a specific topic
Description
Words near a photograph to help readers better understand it
Caption
What the text is mostly about
(the main point of the text)
Central Idea
A figure of speech that compares two different things to make a description more vivid, using the words "like" or "as"
Simile
A single row of words in a poem
Line
Describes a problem and one or more solutions
Problem and Solution
Helps readers define words from the text
Glossary
A specific piece of information that supports an idea
Key Detail
A creative figure of speech that compares two unlike things by saying one thing is the other, without using "like" or "as"
Metaphor
Group of lines in a poem
Stanza
Discusses how things are alike and different
Compare and Contrast
Helps readers understand where something is in the world
Map
A brief retelling of the MOST important parts or BIG ideas in a text
Summary
The central message, lesson, or "big idea" that an author wants to share about life or human nature. It is usually hidden within a story.
Theme
The narrator of a poem
Speaker
Tells the order of events or steps in a process
Chronological Order (Sequence)
A visual tool, usually a straight line, that organizes events in order from beginning to end
Timeline
It is the reason an author writes a text (Persuade, Inform, Entertain)
Author's Purpose
The feelings and thoughts that shape how a character views an event in the story
Perspective
Creative language that is NOT literal
Figurative Language
Explains WHAT happened and WHY it happened
Cause and Effect
A title at the top of a section of the text. They give a sneak peek of the topic covered in that section.
Heading
The main idea, opinion, or belief that a writer is trying to convince the reader to agree with
Author's Claim
Tells you who is narrating the story—whether it’s the author, a character, or an outside observer (1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person)
Point of view
The sequence of events that make up a story, acting like a roadmap from the beginning to the end. It includes the characters, problem, solution, and theme.
Plot