Text Feature Detectives

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 5 of 30) students build their reading ability in Languages by learning to spot and use common text features—headings, subheadings, and captions—to find key information in short, simple texts. Students apply the strategy in guided reading and then practise transferring it to a new text.

Learning intentions

• WALT identify headings, subheadings, and captions in short texts.
• WALT explain how each text feature helps readers understand content quickly.
• WALT use text features to predict what a text will be about before reading.
• WALT answer questions using information found with support from text features.

Success criteria

• I can point to a heading, subheading, and caption and say what I notice about each.
• I can use a text feature to predict the topic or main idea.
• I can find specific information and support my answer using the text features.
• I can explain (orally or in writing) how the feature helped me.

Curriculum links

• Learning Languages: Reading—read and understand key information in short, simple texts containing high-frequency everyday language about familiar matters, including short narratives.
• Learning Languages: Reading—begin to understand short, simple texts with high-frequency vocabulary related to personal relevance and simple descriptions/preferences.
• Learning Languages: Teachers guide students to comprehend simple, connected text across modes on topics of personal interest, including present and future.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up. Teacher displays 3 text snippets with headings/subheadings/captions covered by paper tabs; students guess what might be inside using only the layout. Students share one prediction with a partner.

2. 5–15 min · Mini-lesson: spotting features. Teacher models how to look for headings, subheadings, and captions, using colour highlighting on a projected or printed sample. Students follow along with their own copy and underline the three features using a different colour for each.

3. 15–25 min · Strategy: “Feature-to-Meaning”. Teacher explains a simple routine: Look → Match → Wonder → Check. Students practise using teacher prompts. Students complete a “Feature-to-Meaning” chart for one short text: What feature do you see? What do you think it tells you?

4. 25–40 min · Guided reading: find key information. Teacher gives a short, simple text (around 120–180 words) with at least 1 heading, 2 subheadings, and 2 captions, about familiar school/leisure topics. Students read, then answer 4 questions: 2 literal (where/what), 1 inference using text features (e.g., “Which section would describe…?”), and 1 “caption question” (what detail is shown).

5. 40–52 min · Check and explain. Teacher leads a quick debrief: “How did you know?” focusing on one question at a time and linking answers to specific features (heading/subheading/caption). Students add one sentence to their chart: “The (feature) helped me because…”

6. 52–60 min · Exit ticket. Students receive a new tiny text (one heading, one subheading, one caption) and answer 3 tasks: circle features, write one prediction, and write one answer supported by a feature. Teacher collects for assessment and spots misconceptions immediately.

Resources

• Printed short texts (one teacher model text; one guided reading text; one exit ticket text), each with visible headings/subheadings/captions
• Highlighters or coloured pencils (3 colours assigned to feature types)
• “Feature-to-Meaning” chart (Look/Match/Wonder/Check columns)
• Question sheet for guided reading (4 questions)
• Cover tabs or sticky notes to hide parts during the warm-up
• Projector or board space to model highlighting
• Timer for pacing

Assessment

• Teacher observes student use of colours and feature identification during Steps 2–3.
• Guided reading responses: check whether students use features to locate information (not guessing only from words).
• Exit ticket: look for accuracy (features circled), prediction quality (connected to features), and evidence (answer linked to a feature).

Differentiation

• Support for EAL: provide sentence starters such as “A heading tells me…”, “I think this section is about… because…”, and “The caption shows…”.
• Support for students needing scaffolding: give a worked example for one question and then remove one support gradually (less teacher prompting in later questions).
• Extension for confident readers: add a challenge question—“Which feature would you add to improve the text for a new reader, and why?”
• SEN considerations: allow verbal responses for the chart sentence and then convert to writing with teacher or peer support; provide larger print for guided reading if needed.