How can knowing the word structure help me to be a better reader?

An introduction

Soon, you will be learning about text structure

• In order to understand text structure, we need to understand what the word structure means

-STRUCTA word root meaning “to build”

Many words, including structure, have this word root

All of these words are related to building

-STRUCTA word root meaning “to build”

Construct: to build

-STRUCTA word root meaning “to build”

Destruction: un-building, or tearing down

-STRUCT

Instruct: To teach

Sometimes, the meaning of the root is a little harder to see

How does this relate to the meaning of the root -STRUCT?

-STRUCT

Instruct: To teach

Sometimes, the meaning of the root is a little harder to see

Teaching is building knowledge. So, to instruct someone is to build their knowledge

Going back to structure

• We know that the root –STRUCT means to build

• The word structure has several meanings, all related to building

STRUCTURE

• A style of building• Example: a round structure

Or, a fancy structure

STRUCTUREHow could you describe the structure below? Write your answer. Remember to use the word “structure”!

STRUCTURE

Structure can also refer to the way that parts of things fit together

In science, you can learn about the structure of a flower

STRUCTURE

Structure can also refer to the way that parts of things fit together

Even though flowers are not built, they do have parts that fit together

STRUCTURESTRUCTURE

Structure can also refer to the way that parts of things fit together

Text can have a structure, too

Text Structure

When writers write, they use a structure to put ideas together. It’s as if writers are building the text!

Text Structure

Learning about text structure helps us to see how a text is built

Using a structure to make predictions

• Whether we are looking at real buildings or at texts, we can use a structure to help us make predictions

• Looking at the structure of something can help us to learn more about it

Using structure

• Noticing the structure of a building can help us learn about it

• Looking at what the building is made of, where it is, and how it is built can help us to figure out what the building is for

Using structure

• What does the structure of this building tell you?

• What can you learn about this building when you look at the structure?

Using structure

• What does the structure of this building tell you?

• What can you learn about this building when you look at the structure?

Using structure

• When we look at a text, we can think about it the same way

• What words does the author use? How are the words put together?

• Answering these questions can help us figure out the main ideas in the text

Using structure

• Over the next few weeks, you will learn more about using text structure to help you understand what you read

ReviewReview

• What does the root -STRUCT mean?

• What are some words that have this root?

• What does the word structure mean?

Review

• How will knowing about text structure help you to understand a text?

How can knowing the word structure help me to be a better reader?