As students advance in their literacy skills, they should develop the ability to analyze and understand complex texts. To facilitate their comprehension, it is important to teach them how to properly use text features. Text features are the elements of a text beyond the words themselves, such as headings, subheadings, tables, charts, maps, and diagrams. These features provide additional information and context to the written words. Here are some activities to help students develop the skills to select and use text features:

1. Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

A fun and engaging activity is to organize a text feature scavenger hunt. Provide students with a text and have them hunt for specific text features, such as a table, picture, or heading. This activity encourages students to pay attention to these elements and recognize their importance in understanding the text. For younger students, provide simpler texts, and for older students, provide more complex texts.

2. Text Feature Bingo

Another game to encourage students to pay attention to text features is Text Feature Bingo. Create bingo cards with various text features and have students check off the features as they find them in texts. The first student to get bingo wins! This activity is suitable for younger students and can be adapted for older students by making it more challenging.

3. Text Feature Annotations

Teach students how to annotate text features by asking them to mark up a text with highlighters, post-it notes, or annotations on a screen. Encourage them to think about how the text features contribute to their understanding of the text. For example, they can use an arrow to connect a diagram to the text it explains or underline a heading to indicate a change in topic.

4. Text Feature Analysis

Encourage students to analyze the purpose of text features by asking them to identify how specific features contribute to the text. For example, ask students to identify how an image or chart supports the text. They can write short paragraphs explaining their analysis and share them with the class.

5. Text Feature Creation

Finally, challenge students to create their own text features. Students can create their own diagrams, charts, or maps to accompany a piece of writing. Encourage them to think about how their text features will contribute to their writing and how they can help the reader understand their work better.

In conclusion, teaching students how to select and use text features is an essential part of their literacy development. These activities are fun and engaging ways to help students recognize the importance of these features and to encourage them to become more confident and competent readers.