What are text features and why are they important?

Text features are various components of a text that help organize information and enhance comprehension. They include elements such as headings, subheadings, bullet points, captions, tables of contents, glossaries, and illustrations. These features serve functional purposes by breaking down information into manageable parts, highlighting important concepts, and providing visual aids that support the written content.

By guiding readers through the material, text features enable them to locate information quickly, understand complex ideas more easily, and make connections among concepts. Their presence is particularly vital in informational texts, where the organization of content can significantly affect a reader's ability to grasp and retain the information presented.

In contrast to other options, highlighting text features solely as decorative elements or just limiting their definition to vocabulary ignores their fundamental role in improving reading comprehension and navigation. Additionally, asserting that they are rarely used contradicts the reality that many texts, especially educational materials, extensively incorporate these features to aid learners.