Free printable · Grades 4 to 8
Free text structure graphic organizer
Students name how a nonfiction text is organized (sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, problem and solution, or description), list the signal words that gave it away, show how the ideas connect, and explain why that structure helps the reader. A page of discussion cards comes with it.
Make your own in seconds
Ask for an organizer for one structure (like cause and effect), a passage to practice with, or a different grade, and SCAFLI makes it.
Try asking for:
- “text structure organizer”
SCAFLI is in early access. The free PDF above needs no sign-up.
What it is
An organizer for any nonfiction text, with sentence starters and a hint: find the signal words first, then name the structure.
How to use it
- Read the text once for meaning first.
- On the second read, underline signal words like because, first or however.
- Name the structure, then explain why the author used it.
Three quick tips
- Teach one structure at a time before mixing them.
- Keep a list of signal words for each structure on the wall.
- Use the discussion cards for a partner talk.
Questions
- Which structures does it cover?
- Sequence, compare and contrast, cause and effect, problem and solution, and description.
- Does it come with a text?
- No. It works with any nonfiction text your class is reading.
- Can I get one structure at a time?
- Yes. Ask for a cause and effect organizer, for example.
A starting point for your own professional judgment. Use initials only on any page about a student.