Non-Fiction Text Features and Central Idea

1

100

This is like a mini dictionary. It is located in the back of the book and tells the vocabulary words and their definitions. 

Glossary

200

This tells what is in the book, the names of chapters and what page the chapters can be found. 

Table of Contents

300

 This text feature tells the name of the text, and tells what the text will be about. 

Title

400

One or two words that tell what the text is about.

Topic

500

This text feature helps us understand what we read by dividing the text into sections and explains what the sections will be about. It is at the top of each section.

Heading

2

100

This picture is taken with a camera and helps you understand the text better.

Photograph

200

This text feature lists words and gives the page numbers where the words occur in the book. It is in the back of the book and is in alphabetical order. It does not give the definitions. 

Index

300

This text feature is drawn by an person.

Illustration or picture

400

When the author is trying to get you to do something, their purpose is to ___________.

Persuade

500

 Who is the best 2nd grade teacher?

Mrs. Stein

3

100

Shows where places are located in the world.

Map 

200

This shows events in the order that they happened. 

Timeline

300

Heavy print that shows what words are important or what words can be found in the glossary. 

Bold Words

400

Slanted print that shows a word is important. 

Italics

500

Large amounts of information or data organized into columns and rows with headings.

Table or chart

4

100

The sentence that tells the most important idea about the topic.

Central Idea

200

This identifies a specific part of an image.

Label

300

An author gives facts and important information when their purpose is to ________ the reader. 

Inform

400

When the author wants you to enjoy what you are reading, their purpose is to ___________.

Entertain

500

Examples that tell more about the central idea.

Supporting Details

5

100

This indicates the title of a section of text

Heading

200

This is a short description of an image.

Caption

300

Restate and answer: Why is President's Day important?

President's Day is important because we honor the current and past presidents of our country.

400

Helps the reader visualize real events, steps or objects described in the text

Photograph

500

This is an image with labels that show the parts of something.

Diagram