Structure of information texts
CONCEPTUALDescribe the overall structure of an informational text (chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) and explain how the author's chosen structure helps convey information and ideas
Mastery Evidence
- Identify which organisational structure an informational text uses (chronological order, compare/contrast, cause/effect, or problem/solution) and cite textual features that signal it
- Explain how signal words (first, then, finally for chronology; however, similarly for comparison; because, as a result for cause/effect; the solution was for problem/solution) reveal text structure
- Compare two informational texts on the same topic that use different structures and explain how each structure affects the way information is presented to the reader
Assessment Prompt
“When [child] reads a non-fiction text, can they identify how it's organised — for example, "this one is structured as a problem and solution" or "this one goes through events in time order" — and explain why that structure works?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
RI.4.5Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical SubjectsDescribe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
Prerequisites2
- Structural terminologyhardAges 8—9
- Connecting Ideas in TextssoftAges 8—9
Show full prerequisite tree
- Structural terminology hard
Informational text structure (chronology, cause/effect, problem/solution) builds on text structure terminology knowledge
- Text Features & Presentation soft
Understanding how parts build on each other connects to language/structure contribution to meaning
- Expressive and Sensory Language hard
Identifying language contribution requires literary language understanding
- Listening to Texts Read Aloud hard
Recognising literary language requires listening comprehension of stories/poetry
- How Many in Total? soft
Sorting and categorising objects uses the same counting/cardinality skills from maths
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Non-Fiction Text Features soft
Non-fiction structures knowledge supports analysing text presentation
- Main Topic of Informational Texts hard
Non-fiction structures build on Y1 informational text main topic
- Connecting Ideas in Texts soft
Understanding how text structure conveys information builds on prior work identifying connections between ideas in informational text
- Main Topic of Informational Texts hard
Describing connections in informational text builds on identifying main topic and key details
- Main Topic & Key Details hard
Identifying logical connections between paragraphs builds on multi-paragraph main idea work
- Main Topic of Informational Texts hard
Multi-paragraph main idea analysis builds on identifying main topic and key details in simpler texts
- Representing numbers with objects (age 8+) soft
Cross-subject: understanding informational text connections (e.g. texts with charts/graphs) benefits from data representation literacy in maths
- Pictograms and tally charts hard
Constructing simple pictograms/tables is prerequisite to scaled versions
- Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard
Constructing pictograms, tally charts, and bar charts requires these display vocabulary terms
- Sorting into categories hard
Constructing pictograms and tally charts requires classifying and counting objects first
- Comparing groups: more or fewer soft
Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities
- Counting objects to 20 soft
Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Counting objects to 20 hard
Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Sorting Data into Categories soft
Data representation formats (pictograms, tally charts) support organising data
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard
Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary
- Sorting into categories hard
Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories
- Comparing groups: more or fewer soft
Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities
- Counting objects to 20 soft
Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Counting objects to 20 hard
Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard
Drawing scaled bar charts and pictograms requires axis, scale, label, and frequency vocabulary
- Sorting Data into Categories hard
Drawing picture/bar graphs extends organising and representing data
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Pictograms and tally charts (age 6+) hard
Organising and representing data requires data, tally, frequency, and category vocabulary
- Sorting into categories hard
Organising data in categories builds on classifying and counting objects in categories
- Comparing groups: more or fewer soft
Sorting categories by count benefits from ability to compare quantities
- Counting objects to 20 soft
Counting a set helps when comparing groups, but younger children (GB age 4) can compare using matching without formal counting to 20
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
- Counting objects to 20 hard
Counting objects in each category requires being able to count sets of objects
- One-to-one counting hard
Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'
Unlocks1
- Comparing Structure in Information TextshardAges 10—11