Text features: are all the components of a story or article that are not the main body of text. 

Text features give the reader additional information, beyond the main text, to build understanding of the topic.

These include things like: 

• Table of contents: gives a preview of the sections of text and what page they start on. 

• Index: tells the topics that come up and where in the text to find them. 

• Glossary: definitions of words.

• Headings: tells a brief topic for a section of text. 

• Bold words:  draw reader’s attention. 

• Sidebars: have separate information that is related to the main text. 

• Pictures and captions: explain pictures. 

• Labeled diagrams: such as maps or drawings.