Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been
discussing the ins and outs of writing STEM picture books, including its key
craft elements. (Scroll down to read earlier posts in this discussion.) Today
I’m going to focus on text structure.
Common Core espouses six major text
structures. But in truth there are many more.
structures. But in truth there are many more.
Nearly all life stories have a sequence
structure, but expository nonfiction can have just about any text structure you
can think of. As I describe in the revision timeline I created for Can an
Aardvark Bark?, finding the right text structure is the most challenging
and most creative part of writing expository nonfiction.
structure, but expository nonfiction can have just about any text structure you
can think of. As I describe in the revision timeline I created for Can an
Aardvark Bark?, finding the right text structure is the most challenging
and most creative part of writing expository nonfiction.
Identifying the best text structure often
goes hand in hand with selecting a text format, which I’ll be talking about
after school vacation.
goes hand in hand with selecting a text format, which I’ll be talking about
after school vacation.
Most Popular Posts
Resignation
37 Comments
Re-thinking “E” Is for Everyone
34 Comments
We Need Diverse Nonfiction
31 Comments
The 5 Kinds of Nonfiction
28 Comments
Behind the Books: Does Story Appeal to Everyone?
27 Comments
10 STEM Picture Books
25 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Melissa Stewart
22 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Deborah Heiligman
19 Comments
Is It Fiction or Nonfiction? A Twitterchat
19 Comments
5 Kinds of Nonfiction, Book Lists
18 Comments
Topics
Most Popular Posts
Resignation
37 Comments
Re-thinking “E” Is for Everyone
34 Comments
We Need Diverse Nonfiction
31 Comments
The 5 Kinds of Nonfiction
28 Comments
Behind the Books: Does Story Appeal to Everyone?
27 Comments
10 STEM Picture Books
25 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Melissa Stewart
22 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Deborah Heiligman
19 Comments
Is It Fiction or Nonfiction? A Twitterchat
19 Comments
5 Kinds of Nonfiction, Book Lists
18 Comments
3 Responses
Figuring out the structure is always an adventure for me! I love trying different approaches for the same content. It's a little like a child playing dress-up for the day and seeing which outfit feels just right! Princess, dragon, zebra, racecar…what shape should these ideas take?
Indeed it does, and it often coincides with finding the right voice too.
Yes, my post about voice is coming up. Really, voice, text structure, writing style, point of view, and format are all intertwined.