IEP goals for text features and text structure: 20 examples
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A text features IEP goal names the feature, the task and a count. Example: given a grade 4 science textbook chapter, Mia will use the table of contents, headings, index and glossary to answer 6 locate-and-explain questions, with 5 of 6 correct on 3 consecutive probes. Pair it with a text structure goal when the student cannot see how the ideas are organized.
Text features are the parts of an informational text outside the main paragraphs: titles, headings, captions, bold words, the glossary, the index, charts, maps and diagrams. Text structure is how the paragraphs themselves are organized: description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, or problem and solution. Features help a reader find information. Structure helps a reader hold it together.
The 20 goals below cover both, from captions in early grades to navigating websites in high school. Each has a condition, a baseline, a criterion with a denominator and a template link. Numbers are illustrations. For signal words and a structure template, see text structure signal words. The pillar, reading comprehension strategies, covers how to teach structure.
Text features at a glance
| Feature | What it does | A question that tests it |
|---|---|---|
| Title and headings | Name the topic of the text and each section | "Which section tells how frogs breathe?" |
| Photos and captions | Show and explain an example | "What does the caption tell you that the photo does not?" |
| Bold words and glossary | Mark key words and define them | "What does larva mean? Where did you find it?" |
| Table of contents | Lists sections in order with pages | "On what page does the chapter on habitats start?" |
| Index | Lists topics alphabetically with pages | "Which pages mention tadpoles?" |
| Charts, graphs and tables | Show numbers or comparisons | "Which month had the most rain?" |
| Maps and diagrams | Show places, parts or processes | "What are the 4 stages in the diagram?" |
| Sidebars and timelines | Add extra facts or show order in time | "What happened in 1969?" |
The What Works Clearinghouse guide for kindergarten through grade 3 recommends teaching students to identify and use a text's organizational structure.[1]
How to choose a text features or structure goal
Hand the student a short textbook section and ask 6 questions: 3 that need a feature and 3 about how the section is organized.
| What the student does | Sub-skill to target | Measurement method |
|---|---|---|
| Reads only the main text and ignores captions and labels | Features for young readers | Questions correct, out of 5 |
| Flips page by page to find information | Navigation features (contents, index, headings) | Locate tasks correct, out of 6 |
| Skips charts and maps or misreads them | Graphics | Questions correct, out of 5 |
| Lists facts with no sense of how they connect | Text structure | Structure named and organized, out of 5 passages |
| Gets lost on websites | Digital features | Information found, out of 5 tasks |
Features for young readers (K to grade 2)
- Using photos, captions and labels in a nonfiction book, Leo will answer 5 questions about the main topic, with 4 of 5 correct across 3 books. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
- Given a nonfiction page, Leo will point to and name 4 features (title, photo, caption, label), with 4 of 4 correct in 4 of 5 trials. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
- Given a labeled diagram of a plant or animal, Ana will answer 4 questions using the labels, with 4 of 4 correct on 3 probes. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
- After a nonfiction read-aloud, Ana will tell one fact she learned only from a caption or label, with a correct fact in 4 of 5 books. Baseline: 0 of 5. Template.
Weak: "Leo will learn text features." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the features, the book and the count.
Navigation features (grades 3 to 6)
- Given a grade 4 science textbook chapter, Mia will use the table of contents, headings, index and glossary to answer 6 locate-and-explain questions, with 5 of 6 correct on 3 consecutive probes. Baseline: 2 of 6. Template.
- Given a question and a textbook, Mia will name which feature to use first (contents, index or glossary) and find the page, with 5 of 6 correct on 3 probes. Baseline: 2 of 6. Template.
- Given a textbook section, Omar will answer the section review questions and write the page number where each answer is found, with 4 of 5 correct on 3 probes. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- Before reading a textbook chapter, Omar will preview the headings, visuals and bold words and write 2 predictions, with 2 of 2 linked to a feature in 4 of 5 chapters. Baseline: 0 of 2. Template.
Weak: "Mia will use text features to find information." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the 4 features, the text and the task count.
Charts, maps and diagrams (grades 3 to 8)
- Given a chart, map or diagram in a grade 5 text, Eva will answer 5 questions using the graphic, with 4 of 5 correct on 3 probes. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
- Given a written description of a process, Eva will turn it into a labeled diagram with all steps, with 4 of 5 diagrams complete and accurate. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- Given a bus schedule or a timetable, Jon will answer 5 questions about times and stops, with 5 of 5 correct on 3 probes. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
- Given a graphic novel page, Jon will answer 4 questions using panels, captions and speech bubbles together, with 3 of 4 correct across 3 pages. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
Weak: "Eva will read graphs." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the graphic types and the question count.
Text structure (grades 3 to 10)
- Given an unpracticed grade 4 passage, Kai will name its structure (description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect or problem and solution) and fill the matching organizer, with both correct in 4 of 5 passages. Baseline: 1 of 5. Template.
- Given a passage describing a process, Kai will list its 5 to 7 steps in order on a flow chart, with all steps in order in 4 of 5 passages. Baseline: 3 of 6 steps. Template.
- Given an informational passage with a problem and solutions, Rae will state the problem and 2 solutions, with all 3 correct in 4 of 5 passages. Baseline: 1 of 3. Template.
- Given a 4-section article, Rae will explain what each section does for the whole (background, cause, example, solution), for 3 of 4 sections on 3 probes. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
Weak: "Kai will understand text structure." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the 5 structures and requires a matching organizer.
For goals built on two of these structures, see IEP goals for cause and effect and IEP goals for compare and contrast.
Digital text features (grades 6 to 12)
- Given a task and a website, Liam will use menus, headings, links and search to find the needed information, with 4 of 5 tasks correct on 3 probes. Baseline: 2 of 5. Template.
- Given a textbook section, Liam will take SQ3R notes (survey features, write questions from headings, read, recite and review), with all 5 steps complete in 4 of 5 sections. Baseline: 1 of 5 steps. Template.
- Given a textbook chapter, Zara will follow a reading routine that starts with headings and visuals, completing 4 of 4 routine steps in 4 of 5 sections. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
- Given an online article, Zara will judge whether the source is reliable using the author, date, site and evidence, scoring 3 of 4 rubric points on 3 probes. Baseline: 1 of 4. Template.
Weak: "Liam will use the internet for research." Measurable: Goal 1 above. It names the features and the task count.
How to measure text features and structure goals
- Fix the materials. Use the same kind of text (a textbook chapter, a nonfiction book) at one level for every probe.
- Write locate tasks that need the feature. "What is a larva?" should only be answerable quickly by using the glossary or bold words.
- Score structure goals in two parts. One point for naming the structure, one for an organizer that matches it.
- Record on one sheet. The accuracy data sheet fits most goals here; use the rubric scoring data sheet for source evaluation.
Probe every 2 weeks and graph the scores; repeated measures over time show the trend.[2] Each annual goal needs a stated way to measure and report progress.[3]
Short-term objectives for text features goals
Step from one feature to several. For the navigation goal: by the first report, 5 of 6 with the table of contents and headings; by the second, with the glossary added; by the third, with the index and the student choosing which feature to use. See the short-term objectives guide.
Adapting by grade and support level
| Grade band or need | Typical focus | Example change |
|---|---|---|
| K to 2 | Photos, captions, labels | Nonfiction read-alouds |
| Grades 3 to 5 | Contents, index, glossary, diagrams | Science and social studies textbooks |
| Middle school | Text structure, charts, maps | Textbook sections, articles |
| High school | Websites, source reliability, study routines | Online sources, course texts |
| Functional | Schedules, menus, labels | Real-world documents |
The comprehension goals page lists every template by grade, and the reading comprehension strategies hub groups strategy goals. The graphic organizer glossary entry explains organizers for families. Run a draft through the goal checker.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good text features IEP goal?
One that names the features, the text and a task count. For example: given a grade 4 science textbook chapter, the student will use the table of contents, headings, index and glossary to answer 6 questions, with 5 of 6 correct on 3 consecutive probes.
What is the difference between text features and text structure?
Text features are parts outside the main paragraphs, such as headings, captions, the glossary and charts. Text structure is how the paragraphs are organized, such as sequence, cause and effect, or compare and contrast.
What are the five text structures?
Description, sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and problem and solution. Each has typical signal words and a matching graphic organizer students can use to take notes.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Comprehension goals (reading)
- Reading comprehension strategies goal hub
- Use headings, the index and the glossary (goal template)
- Graphic organizer in the IEP glossary
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Reading comprehension strategies for struggling readers
- Text structure signal words: chart, template and strategies
- IEP goals for cause and effect: 24 examples
- Reading comprehension IEP goal examples
- Previewing text: a routine students with IEPs can run alone
- Genre IEP goals: poetry, drama, folktales and informational text
Sources
- Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
- Progress Monitoring: Data & Goal Setting, National Center on Intensive Intervention
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.