Reading Expository Texts: Seven Patterns of Organization

Graphic organizers are fundamental to thinking and  provide opportunities for analysis that reading alone and linear outlining cannot . These strategies are especially beneficial to low-achieving students (Jones, Pierce, Hunter 1988).  

This website provides an explanation of the Expository Patterns of Organization for those struggling with reading comprehension and offers writers a refresher of the patterns used in their own pieces.

Text Structure | Reading Worksheets:

Cause and Effect:The results of something are explained.
Example: The dodo bird used to roam in large flocks across America.  Interestingly, the dodo wasn’t startled by gun shot.  Because of this, frontiersmen would kill entire flocks in one sitting.  Unable to sustain these attacks, the dodo was hunted to extinction.
Learn More About Cause and Effect

Chronological: information in the passage is organized in order of time.
Example: Jack and Jill ran up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after.
Learn More About Chronological Order

Compare and Contrast: two or more things are described.  There similarities and differences are discussed.
Example: Linux and Windows are both operating systems.  Computers use them to run programs.  Linux is totally free and open source, so users can improve or otherwise modify the source code.  Windows is proprietary, so it costs money to use and users are prohibited from altering the source code.
Learn More About Compare and Contrast

Order of Importance: information is expressed as a hierarchy or in priority.
Example: Here are the three worst things that you can do on a date.  First, you could tell jokes that aren’t funny and laugh really hard to yourself.  This will make you look bad.  Worse though, you could offend your date.  One bad “joke” may cause your date to lash out at you, hence ruining the engagement.  But the worst thing that you can do is to appear slovenly.  By not showering and properly grooming, you may repulse your date, and this is the worst thing that you can do.
Learn More About Order of Importance

Problem and Solution: a problem is described and a response or solution is proposed or explained.
Example: thousand of people die each year in car accidents involving drugs or alcohol.  Lives could be saved if our town adopts a free public taxi service. By providing such a service, we could prevent intoxicated drivers from endangering themselves or others.
Learn More About Problem and Solution

Sequence / Process Writing: information is organized in steps or a process is explained in the order in which it occurs.  
Example: Eating cereal is easy.  First, get out your materials.  Next, pour your cereal in the bowl, add milk, and enjoy.
Learn More About Sequence

Spatial / Descriptive Writing: information is organized in order of space (top to bottom, left to right).
Example: when you walk into my bedroom there is a window facing you.  To the right of that is a dresser and television and on the other side of the window is my bed.
Learn More About Spatial Organization

'via Blog this'

Jones, B.F., Pierce, J. & Hunter, B. (Dec., 1988- Jan.,1989) “Teaching Students to Construct Graphic Representations,” Educational Leadership, 46: 20-25. 

Website:  Jacqueline Woodson  First created in 2002

·         Copyright date: 2002-2011

·         All links are functional and the website is current. 

Author:  Jacqueline Woodson.  This is the award winning author’s website that is up-to-date with first-person musings for the children and young adults that already love her books, or who may be discovering her for the first time.  

Website Design: Ms. Woodson’s interactive webpage is bordered by images/links to her books (that her audience is most assuredly already familiar); she uses language that is hip and in-tune with her audience and throughout the site Woodson includes graphics/photos that are personal, friendly, fun, and inviting.  In the bio section she tells the story of how she became a writer…

”I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.)”  

• Woodson wants to inspire those who may be hesitant about putting their own stories to the page by answering questions about her process and providing autobiographical examples of what has motivated her to write.  Included are short videos too.

• The sidebar navigation is descriptive and user friendly for her youthful audience.  Main page titles are:  Books I’ve Written; All About Me; Frequently Asked Questions; Some Awards I’ve Won, How to Contact Me, and Where I’ll Be.

• Each brightly colored page contains three bullets with links for readers, teachers, and caregivers to whom she offers this advice:

·         To her readers Woodson says, “Keep reading and writing.”

·         To the teachers she says, “Encourage young people to ask lots of   questions.”

·         To the caregivers: “Teach them the value of reading early on.”

• Children and young adult readers will love this website for its interactive, colorful, informative, and personal qualities.  Teachers will find guides for suggestions in the classroom, and caregivers will be inspired by the fact Woodson understands that not every child is being raised in a home with a mother and father. Woodson gets her readers and those with whom they live and are taught.  Follow on Twitter @JackieWoodson.  I wish I was attending the NCTE Conference in Chicago this year so I could meet her.