Layout and Formatting in Informational Writing
Use layout devices including headings, sub-headings, columns, bullets, and tables to structure text and guide the reader through informational and explanatory writing
What a learner can do afterwards
- Organise an informational text using headings and sub-headings to separate sections
- Present comparative information using a table with clear row and column headers
- Use columns and bullet points to display information in a scannable format
The lesson
Long pieces of nonfiction writing can be hard to read if everything is squashed into one block. Headings and sub-headings break your writing into named sections, so a reader can find exactly the part they want.
Zara writes a guide called 'Volcanoes'. Under the heading 'Types of Volcanoes,' she adds two sub-headings: 'Shield Volcanoes' and 'Composite Volcanoes.' A reader who only wants shield volcanoes can jump straight there.
Sometimes you need to compare several things at once, like the size, diet, and habitat of different animals. A table with row and column headers lines up the facts, so the reader can compare them at a glance instead of hunting through paragraphs.
Use bullet points for lists of items or steps, and columns for short chunks of related information. Both let a reader scan the page instead of reading every word.
Headings, sub-headings, tables, bullets and columns all help your reader scan and find information fast.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.