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    Teaching Text Structure With Picture Books

    August 18, 2022

    text structure with picture books
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    Text structure is the way authors organize expository information for a specific purpose. Aside from the fact that it’s a required reading standard, it’s important to teach students to identify text structures in order to improve comprehension of a text.

    text structure with picture books

    Using quality texts as explicit models and teaching about the organization and keywords used with each type of structure helps develop student comprehension.

    You know I love using picture books as mentor texts, and yes, picture books work well for this skill, too!

    Teach Text Structures With Picture Books

    Teaching students to identify text structure can be tricky simply because expository text is often more challenging to read (since it usually consists of content that is unfamiliar to the student).

    Using nonfiction picture books for your mini-lessons to introduce (or re-teach/review) text structure is the perfect way to help students access the content of the text.

    There are five overall text structures:

    • chronology (sequence)
    • comparison
    • cause/effect
    • problem/solution
    • description

    Keep in mind, in your mini-lessons, it’s important to discuss with students that when determining the text structure, it should describe the text as a whole, not just parts of it.

    One way to help students identify the text structure is to use a guide like this one:

    text structure freebie

    CLICK TO ACCESS FREEBIE!

    If students cannot answer the question about the WHOLE text, it helps them see that text structure would not apply to the text. It also helps set them up for success with the comprehension of the text by being able to answer the question.

    You probably noticed that “description” isn’t listed on the poster- that overall text structure is usually one they don’t have any issue identifying or comprehending, so I focused on the four trickier structures. 

    Text Structure In Balloons Over Broadway

    Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet is such a great nonfiction mentor text to teach about the man behind the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    This is a great picture book to use when starting text structure lessons because the overall text structure is chronology (which tends to be much easier for students to identify).

    text structure chronology balloons over broadway

    Using the guiding questions, students should easily identify the chronology text structure. Be sure to remind students how the structure should describe the text as a whole, not just parts of it.

    For example, in Balloons Over Broadway, even though Tony faced some problems in the book and was able to solve the problems, the book as a whole wasn’t about how to solve problems that occur during parades.

    And although the author reveals the reason that we have a Macy’s Parade with large balloons, cause and effect was not the overall structure of the entire book.

    Students should recognize that the overall structure of Balloons Over Broadway is chronology because it is the story of Tony Sarg growing up to make marionettes, then puppets, then using his expertise to create the balloons for the Macy’s Parade.

    Continued Practice With Text Structure

    Of course, spending time analyzing the other text structures is essential.

    Since informational texts are typically more difficult simply because the students aren’t as familiar with the content, providing texts that access some prior knowledge tackles that hurdle.

    In the weeklong mentor text unit I created for the book Balloons Over Broadway, students will read short passages providing even more information about the Macy’s parade. I wrote each passage with a specific (and obvious) text structure to help students analyze keywords and overall organization.

    Reading Like Writers, Writing Like Readers

    Viewing text structure as a craft can also improve students’ informational writing abilities.

    A fun way to get students reading like writers and writing like readers is to engage in conversation over what is the same and different in a couple of images related to what you’re learning. Since the purpose of compare/contrast structure is to share similarities and differences of two things, this discussion is important because it will help spark the ideas they may want to write about for their assignment.

    Below, you’ll see an example of a writing assignment in the Balloons Over Broadway Mentor Text Unit.

    text structure compare and contrast writing balloons over broadway

    Pointing out some key elements they want to include when they compare, like the year, or the name of the balloon, in order to distinguish between them. For example, students shouldn’t say, “one has this, but one has that.” They need to clarify by saying, “The balloon from 1928 was filled with air and helium, but the balloon from 2008 was filled with just helium.”)

    Text Structure In The Crayon Man

    Another fabulous picture book to read when teaching text structure is The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow. It is not only a fantastic example of a narrative biography, but contains the elusive problem/solution text structure! (This one is always hard to find good examples of in picture books.)

    Just as I suggested with Balloons Over Broadway, after reading the mentor text, read each explanation of the text structures from the poster. Remind students how the structure should describe the text as a whole, not just parts of it. Help students recognize that the structure is problem and solution.

    text structure problem and solution balloons over broadway

    Point out how even though chalk, pencils, and crayons were compared in the book, the overall structure of the text is not compare and contrast… and although a few steps of making the colored crayons were shared, the text overall was not written with references to time, so it wouldn’t be a sequence structure either.

    Note: Problem & solution and cause & effect can often be similar in structure – and can be tricky to identify! In fact, one might argue that The Crayon Man is cause & effect because of the chain of events that led to the crayons’ creation. However, there are several problems presented in the book that Edwin works to solve – and does – so this is a great example of the problem and solution text structure!

    Reading Like Writers, Writing Like Readers

    The Crayon Man is actually a “two for one” for your text structure lessons!

    In the back of the book, the author includes an explanation with ordered photos to show how crayons are made. Students should easily identify the text structure: sequence/chronology.

    The caption of each image tells how crayons are made. Because they are written as captions for numbered/sequential images, and not in paragraph form, transitions are not used or needed.

    text structure sequence writing crayon man

    Perform a shared writing exercise with students: paraphrase the captions and add transitions to write one paragraph that explains how crayons are made. This help students practice varying the start of their sentences.

    Depending on your class’s ability to paraphrase, etc, you might even write out the paragraph example ahead of time with blanks for transitions to explicitly practice using transition words in writing.

     

    Looking for more information about teaching with picture books?

    Check out the site library all about maximizing your time using mentor texts!

     

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    by Jessica Ivey 

    About Jessica Ivey

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    Welcome!

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    Hi, I'm Jessica, also affectionately known as Jivey! I am passionate about making literacy accessible for all students using research-based strategies. Students learn best through content integration and in-context skills, and my goal is to help you deliver your instruction with these best practices!

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    Ideas By Jivey

    22 hours ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    When do YOU teach grammar? 🤓📓If you're using the mentor sentence routine, I suggest beginning your writing time with it! You want grammar and language to be directly connected to their writing.This also helps get students into a writing frame of mind, and often gives them a purpose for writing that day! ✏️Read more about the mentor sentences routine here: www.ideasbyjivey.com/routine ... See MoreSee Less

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    📚 Boost your students' reading and writing skills by integrating mentor texts all year long! Check out this post for tips on how to use mentor texts to enhance your lesson plans and engage your students, plus grab a freebie for one of my favorite books! ... See MoreSee Less

    Why I Love Using Mentor Texts All Year (And You Should, Too!)

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    4 days ago

    Ideas By Jivey
    🔍Research has proven that vocabulary words must be presented in context for proper comprehension.📖That means... throw out the word lists for kids to look up in a dictionary and memorize the definition!!!📚Picture books are vital – yes, even in the upper grades – to allow students to use the images to help with context and infer the meaning of words. One way to present vocabulary words effectively is to teach through texts you are already using for other lessons!😍You can find over 150 weeks' worth of contextual vocabulary activities just like these in the All-Access Mentor Text Membership: members.ideasbyjivey.com/all-access ... See MoreSee Less

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    When do YOU teach grammar? 🤓 📓If you're usi When do YOU teach grammar? 🤓

📓If you're using the #mentorsentences routine, I suggest beginning your writing time with it! You want grammar and language to be directly connected to their writing.

This also helps get students into a writing frame of mind, and often gives them a purpose for writing that day! ✏️

Read more about the mentor sentences routine at the link in my profile!

#ideasbyjivey #mentortexts #teacherspayteachers #upperelementary #grammarteacher

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/routine
    🔍Research has proven that #vocabulary words mus 🔍Research has proven that #vocabulary words must be presented in context for proper comprehension.

📖That means... throw out the word lists for kids to look up in a dictionary and memorize the definition!!!

📚Picture books are vital – yes, even in the upper grades – to allow students to use the images to help with context and infer the meaning of words. One way to present vocabulary words effectively is to teach through texts you are already using for other lessons!

😍You can find over 150 weeks' worth of contextual vocabulary activities just like these in the All-Access Mentor Text Membership- link in profile!!

#ideasbyjivey #upperelementary #mentortexts #teachingvocabulary #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345 

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    🍀What book are you reading this week for St. Pa 🍀What book are you reading this week for St. Patrick's Day?

Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman is a fun one!

Need some last-minute activities?

You can find an entire unit for this #mentortext in Ideas by Jivey's All-Access Mentor Text Membership, as well as on TPT (link in profile)!

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    🍀🌈💰For today's #mentortextmonday, let's g 🍀🌈💰For today's #mentortextmonday, let's get excited for St. Patrick's Day this week! 

I have the perfect #picturebook: 🍀Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman. It's an original folktale with a little girl power mixed in!

Get the resource I've created for it and you'll have: 
🍀a mentor sentence lesson for the book

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🍀six reading ideas suggested with three activities provided: citing evidence, character analysis, and defining using context clues

🍀one writing idea suggested with a writing prompt given

🍀contextual vocabulary activities

🍀science integration - design a leprechaun trap with simple machines

You can find this unit in Ideas by Jivey's All-Access Mentor Text Membership, as well as on TPT (link in profile)! 

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    🤔 So what's so special about using #mentorsente 🤔 So what's so special about using #mentorsentences instead of lectures and worksheets?

💡Engagement in the daily class discussions around language is what will give many students a “lightbulb moment” and help those skills transfer to writing. 

Holding these high-level conversations are when the students are going to learn the MOST. 🥳

Read more at the link in my profile! 

#ideasbyjivey #teachersfollowteachers #iteach345 #mentortexts #upperelementaryteacher #grammarteacher 

https://www.ideasbyjivey.com/routine
    🍀Looking for the perfect book to use for St. Pa 🍀Looking for the perfect book to use for St. Patrick's Day?

I have the one! 🍀Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman is an original folktale with some girl power mixed in, too!

With the resource I've created, you'll get contextual vocabulary activities PLUS a mentor sentence lesson, reading activities, a writing prompt, and a stem tie-in!

You can find this unit in Ideas by Jivey's All-Access
Mentor Text Membership, as well as on TPT (link in
profile)!

#stpatricksdayintheclassroom #ideasbyjivey
#mentortext #mentorsentences #upperelementary
#teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers
#iteach345

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fionas-
Luck-St-Patricks-Day-Mentor-Text-Digital-Print-Leprech
aun-Book-Unit-7821146
    🌈What book are you using for St. Patrick's Day? 🌈What book are you using for St. Patrick's Day?

🍀Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman is a great one full of figurative language!

Get this mentor sentence, plus reading, writing, vocabulary, and STEM tie-in at the link in my profile! 

You can also find this unit in Ideas by Jivey's All-Access Mentor Text Membership! 

#stpatricksdayintheclassroom #ideasbyjivey #mentortext #mentorsentences #upperelementary #teachersfollowteachers #teacherspayteachers #iteach345 

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    ✨ Come take the free #mentorsentences training! ✨ Come take the free #mentorsentences training! ✨ 
For K-2 and 3-5! Link in profile! 

members.ideasbyjivey.com/crash-course-registration-page
#ideasbyjivey #iteachtoo #teachersofinstagram #teachersfollowteachers
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