Virginia SOL 2.RI.2.A
The Standard
Use text features (table of contents, headings, pictures, captions, maps, and charts) to preview, set a purpose for reading and gain information.
Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Craft and Style
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use headings, pictures, captions, maps, charts, and a table of contents before and during reading. They use these features to predict content, set a reading purpose, and find facts.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students name common text features and explain what each one helps a reader find. Before reading, they use features to predict the topic and choose a question to answer.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat pictures as decoration or confuse captions with headings. They may also expect every text feature to give the same information as the main text.
How to Assess It
- Give students a one-page article with a heading, picture, caption, and chart. Ask them to circle two features and write one fact each feature helps them learn.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a nonfiction book and sticky notes to label the table of contents, headings, pictures, captions, maps, and charts.
Show a page without its main text and ask, "What do the features tell us, and what question should we read to answer?"
Play Feature Hunt by calling out a purpose, such as finding a page or location, while students point to the matching feature.
Compare a weather report's map, chart, heading, and picture, then ask which feature best helps someone plan what to wear.
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Printable 2.RI.2.A Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 2.RI.2.A, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- K.RI.2.A
With prompting and support, identify the purpose of common text features: table of contents, headings, bolded words, and pictures
- 1.RI.2.A
Identify and use common text features to gain information: table of contents, headings, bolded words, and pictures, captions, and diagrams.
- 8.RI.2.A
Evaluate an author’s use of text features (e.g., boldface and italics; type set in color; underlining; indentation; sidebars; illustrations, graphics, and photo...
- 6.RI.2.A
Determine the purpose of text features (e.g., boldface and italics type; type set in color; underlining; graphics and photographs; and headings and subheadings)...
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