Using Headings and Subheadings

Active learning works for this topic because young readers need to physically interact with text features to see how they guide understanding. Scanning, sorting, and creating headings helps students move from passive readers to active information detectives who rely on clear text structures.

• Primary 2
• English Language
• 3 activities
• 25 min–30 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify the purpose of headings and subheadings in informational texts.
2. Explain how headings and subheadings help readers predict content.
3. Locate specific information within a text using headings and subheadings.
4. Compare the visual characteristics of headings and subheadings (e.g., size, boldness) and explain their function.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Text Feature Scavenger Hunt

In small groups, students are given a variety of non-fiction books and a checklist. They must find and flag examples of a heading, a caption, and a diagram using sticky notes.

Prepare & details

What do headings in a book or article help you find?

Facilitation Tip: During the Text Feature Scavenger Hunt, provide magazines and non-fiction books with varied layouts so students see real-world examples of headings and subheadings.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Peer Teaching

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Peer Teaching: Caption Creators

Pairs are given interesting photos of Singapore landmarks without captions. They must write a caption that explains something not obvious in the photo, then explain their choice to another pair.

Prepare & details

How can you tell what a section is about before you read all of it?

Facilitation Tip: When students create captions, remind them to include one fact that isn’t obvious from the image alone, reinforcing the purpose of captions.

Setup: Presentation area at front, or multiple teaching stations

Materials: Topic assignment cards, Lesson planning template, Peer feedback form, Visual aid supplies

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Simulation Game

⏱ 30 min·Small Groups

Simulation Game: The Information Map

Students are given a text with all the headings and captions removed. They must work together to match the correct headings to the right paragraphs based on the information provided.

Prepare & details

Why do some headings look bigger or bolder than others in an informational text?

Facilitation Tip: For The Information Map, use colored pencils so students can visually track how headings connect different sections of text.

Setup: Flexible space for group stations

Materials: Role cards with goals/resources, Game currency or tokens, Round tracker

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should model how they use headings by thinking aloud while locating information in a text. Avoid spending too much time on every section—focus on showing how to jump to the relevant part using subheadings. Research suggests that frequent practice with real informational texts builds speed and confidence in young readers.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently using headings and subheadings to locate information quickly and explain why these features matter. They should also start creating their own headings to organize new ideas during writing tasks.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Investigation: Text Feature Scavenger Hunt, watch for students who assume captions only describe the image.

What to Teach Instead

Ask students to find captions that include dates, names, or surprising facts. Have them present one example to the class and explain how the caption adds meaning beyond the image.

Common Misconception

During Simulation: The Information Map, watch for students who try to read every word in the text.

What to Teach Instead

Model how to use headings to jump directly to the section you need. Provide a timer and challenge students to find three facts in under two minutes using only headings and subheadings.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Collaborative Investigation: Text Feature Scavenger Hunt, provide a short informational text and ask students to underline all headings and circle all subheadings. Then have them write one sentence predicting what one section is about based on its subheading.

Exit Ticket

After Peer Teaching: Caption Creators, give each student a picture of a book page with headings and subheadings. Ask them to write two things they can learn about the topic just by looking at the headings and subheadings, and explain why one heading is bigger than another.

Discussion Prompt

During Simulation: The Information Map, present two texts on the same topic, one with clear headings and one without. Ask students to discuss in pairs which text is easier to find information in and explain how headings and subheadings help them.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to design a new page for the same topic, adding one heading and two subheadings that cover information not yet included.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters like 'This section is about _____ because the heading says _____.'
• Deeper: Ask students to compare two informational texts on the same topic and explain which layout makes finding information easier.

Key Vocabulary

Heading	A title that introduces a main section of a text. It tells you what the section is about.
Subheading	A smaller title that introduces a subsection within a larger section. It gives more specific information about a part of the main topic.
Informational Text	A type of writing that gives facts and information about a topic, like a textbook or a magazine article.
Predict	To guess what will happen or what something will be about based on clues.