Teaching expository text structure

Welcome back to our series about reading comprehension strategies!

An awareness of the different kinds of expository text structure can help students understand informational text.

In this post I’ll list the five different kinds of expository text structure and share a routine you can follow when teaching them.

What is text structure?

Text structure is how an author organizes a text. Research shows that explicit instruction in text structure leads to gains in reading comprehension (Williams, 2005).

Because expository (informational) text can be organized in a variety of ways, it’s tricker than narrative text, in which stories follow a reliable pattern.

I like Nell Duke’s (2013) recommendation to make at least half of your read alouds expository text. This way you expose your students to more complex text while also building knowledge.

Types of expository text structures

There are five major expository text structures: description, sequence, cause and effect, compare/contrast, and problem/solution.

A routine for teaching expository text structure

1. Find a short expository text that is organized according to a particular text structure. Make sure that each student has a copy.

If you’re wondering where to get this text, look no further than ChatGTP.

I’ll be honest – ChatGPT and AI in general make me a little nervous – but I won’t deny how useful ChatGPT can be for teachers!

COMPARE & CONTRAST

I told ChatGPT to “Write a paragraph using the compare and contrast text structure that compares aardvarks and anteaters. Make the paragraph appropriate for third grade.” This is what it gave me:

Aardvarks and anteaters are two animals that like to eat ants and termites, but they have some differences. Aardvarks live in Africa, and they have big ears and a snout like a pig to dig into termite mounds. On the other hand, anteaters live in Central and South America. They have long snouts and tongues that help them slurp up ants from nests. Aardvarks are strong and live in African savannahs, while anteaters have sharp claws and can climb trees in the forests of the Americas. Even though they both love ants, aardvarks and anteaters are special in their own ways, adapting to where they live to survive and thrive.

Impressive, huh?

DESCRIPTION

“Write a paragraph for third graders using the description text structure to describe anteaters.”

Anteaters are amazing animals with unique features that help them eat their favorite food – ants! They live in Central and South America, where it’s warm and full of trees. Anteaters have long snouts and tongues that they use to slurp up ants from their nests. Imagine a long, sticky tongue reaching into an ant’s home! Anteaters also have sharp claws that they use to dig into the ground and find more ants to eat. They are like nature’s superheroes when it comes to hunting for tiny insects. With their special tools, anteaters are experts at finding and enjoying their delicious ant meals in the forests where they live.

PROBLEM & SOLUTION

“Write a paragraph about aardvarks for third grade using the problem and solution text structure.”

Aardvarks sometimes face a problem because their favorite food, ants and termites, can be tricky to get. You see, these tiny insects hide inside hard termite mounds. But guess what? Aardvarks are like nature’s little superheroes because they have a cool solution to this challenge! They’ve got super strong, shovel-like claws that work like special tools. These claws help aardvarks dig into the tough termite mounds and grab those tasty ants and termites. So, even though it might be hard to find their food, aardvarks have a clever way to solve the problem and enjoy their yummy meals. Go, aardvarks!

SEQUENCE

“Write a third grade paragraph using the sequence text structure about anteaters.”

Anteaters do things in a specific order that helps them find and eat ants. First, they use their keen sense of smell to sniff out ant nests. Then, with their long snouts, they dig into the ground to uncover the ants’ homes. Once they find the ant nests, anteaters use their super long tongues to slurp up the ants. It’s like a special sequence or a step-by-step plan that anteaters follow to make sure they get their favorite food. Sniff, dig, slurp – that’s how anteaters go about their ant-hunting adventure!

CAUSE & EFFECT

“Write a cause and effect paragraph for third graders about aardvarks.”

Aardvarks have some special abilities that help them find and eat their favorite food, ants and termites. One cause is their long snouts, which act like powerful shovels. The effect of this is that aardvarks can easily dig into hard termite mounds to uncover the insects. Another cause is their excellent sense of smell. The effect of this is that aardvarks can sniff out where the ants and termites are hiding. So, because aardvarks have these amazing features, they can cause the ants and termites to be found and enjoyed for a tasty meal!

Okay, that last one was a little weak. But overall, ChatGPT came through.

2. Have your students read the paragraph alone or with a partner. If reading in pairs, students can take turns reading a sentence. If they finish before everyone is finished, they should read the paragraph again.

3. Read the paragraph chorally.

4. Identify signal words and invite your students to highlight them. A tip: If you had ChatGPT create your paragraph, you might want to add signal words that will make this task easier for your students. Use the chart earlier in this post to find signal words associated with each text structure. (The above passage is weak on signal words.)

5. Ask students questions about the paragraph.

• Where do anteaters live?
• What do anteaters use to slurp up ants?
• What are two words that describe an anteater’s tongue?

6. Have students form questions and ask a partner. Then, have them ask and answer their own questions. They must turn over the page before they answer the question.

7. Complete a graphic organizer together. You’ll find free graphic organizers at the end of this post. If possible, project the organizer onto your dry erase board and fill it in with student feedback.

8. Together, write a paragraph using the graphic organizer. Walk your students through the process of writing a topic sentence, detail sentences, and a concluding sentence. Model this process many times before asking students to do this on their own.

I hope this post gave you some insight into how to teach expository text structures!

And check out the rest of our comprehension strategies series by clicking the image below!

References

Duke, N.K. (2013). Starting out: Practices to use in K-3. Educational Leadership, 71(3), 40-44.

Williams, J. P. (2005). Instruction in reading comprehension for primary-grade students: A focus on text structure. The Journal of Special Education, 39(1), 6-18.