Text Type Detective

This engaging worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 strengthen reading comprehension and critical thinking by analyzing how informational texts are organized. Acting as “text detectives,” students read short passages and determine which structure is used-cause/effect, compare/contrast, chronological, problem/solution, or description-by identifying signal words and organizational clues. A creative extension invites learners to rewrite a passage using a different structure, reinforcing understanding through application.

Learning Goals

• Identifying Text Structures (Grades 4-6)
  Students recognize and classify common informational text structures.
• Using Signal Words and Clues
  Learners identify transitions and phrases that signal how information is organized.
• Analyzing Organization and Meaning
  Students examine how structure supports clarity and understanding.
• Rewriting for Structure and Coherence
  An extension task challenges students to reorganize information using a new format.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created and Standards-Aligned
  Designed by educators to support informational reading, vocabulary, and writing standards.
• Engaging Detective Theme
  The role-play format increases motivation while maintaining academic rigor.
• Supports Deeper Comprehension
  Encourages students to move beyond recognition to application of text structures.
• Flexible Classroom and Homeschool Use
  Ideal for literacy lessons, centers, independent practice, or assessment.

This printable worksheet helps students build strong nonfiction reading skills by learning to identify and analyze text structures. By spotting signal words, classifying organization, and rewriting passages, learners gain confidence in understanding how informational texts are constructed. Suitable for classroom and homeschool settings, this resource supports thoughtful reading, flexible writing, and deeper comprehension of how structure shapes meaning.

This worksheet is part of our Matching Text to Structure Type collection.