6.4 Research & Study Skills: Text Features, Reference Tools & Multiple Sources
Key Takeaways
Research and study skills form the National Standards Curriculum strand Reading for Information, and Research is one of the content categories in the Ministry's Grade 6 Language Arts test-preparation items.
A table of contents lists chapters in page order at the front of a book, while an index lists specific topics alphabetically with page numbers at the back.
Skimming means reading quickly for the main idea; scanning means searching quickly for one specific detail such as a date, name or number.
Graphs, maps, charts and tables must be read through their title, key, labels, scale and units before any value is compared.
Using multiple sources means locating specific information in each source, comparing where they agree or differ, and combining the evidence with clear attribution.
6.4 Research & Study Skills: Text Features, Reference Tools & Multiple Sources
The National Standards Curriculum includes a full Language Arts strand called Reading for Information (Research and Study Skills). In the Ministry's 2026 Grade 6 Language Arts test-preparation publication, items are classified as Reading, Writing or Research. The Research items ask students to compare and contrast ideas, extract specific information from specific sources, and answer evaluative questions. Performance Tasks also place heavy emphasis on research: students gather information from several sources and use it in their own writing.
External Text Features: The Signposts of Non-Fiction
Informational texts are designed to be searched, not only read from beginning to end. Text features help you find information fast.
| Text feature | What it does | How it helps you |
|---|---|---|
| Title and headings | Name the topic of the whole text and of each part | Tell you which part to read for a question |
| Subheadings | Divide a section into smaller topics | Narrow your search |
| Bullets and numbered lists | Break information into short points or steps | Make steps and lists easy to find |
| Text boxes and sidebars | Give extra or related information | Often hold definitions or fun facts |
| Bold, italic or underlined words | Highlight key vocabulary | Signal words that are defined nearby |
| Captions and labels | Explain a picture or diagram | Connect the picture to the text |
| Diagrams, maps, charts, tables and timelines | Show information visually | Let you compare numbers, places and dates quickly |
Table of Contents, Index and Glossary
- Table of contents: at the front of a book. It lists chapters or units in page order. Use it to find a broad topic, such as "Chapter 4: Hurricanes".
- Index: at the back of a book. It lists specific topics, names and terms in alphabetical order, with every page where each appears. The entry Mangroves, 14, 22–25 means the word appears on page 14 and on pages 22 to 25.
- Glossary: at the back of a book. It gives the meanings of special words used in the book, in alphabetical order.
Other Reference Sources
| Source | Use it to find |
|---|---|
| Dictionary | Meaning, pronunciation, part of speech and syllables of a word; guide words at the top of each page show the first and last entries |
| Thesaurus | Synonyms and antonyms |
| Atlas | Maps of places, with an index of place names |
| Encyclopaedia | Background articles on many topics |
| Almanac or yearbook | Up-to-date facts and statistics |
| Websites | Current information; check who wrote it, when, and whether the site is reliable (for example, an official government or university site) |
Skimming and Scanning
| Skill | Purpose | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Skimming | Get the main idea or gist | Read the title, headings, first and last sentences of paragraphs, and look at pictures |
| Scanning | Find one specific detail | Decide on the keyword or number you need, then move your eyes quickly down the page until you spot it |
On a test, read the question first. If it asks "In what year…?", scan for a four-digit number. If it asks "What is the passage mainly about?", skim.
Reading Graphs, Maps, Charts and Tables
Always read these five things before answering:
- Title: what the graphic is about.
- Key or legend: what each colour, symbol or pattern means.
- Labels: what each row, column or axis shows.
- Scale: how much each grid line or map distance represents.
- Units: millimetres, kilograms, dollars, students, and so on.
A common trap is reading the right number from the wrong row or column. Put your finger on the row and slide across to the column.
Using More Than One Source
Research tasks often give two or three sources, such as an article, a chart and an interview. Use this method:
- Identify each source's purpose: Is it informing, persuading or describing?
- Locate the specific information each source gives about the question.
- Compare: where do the sources agree, and where do they differ?
- Combine (synthesise): put the facts together to answer the question, saying where each fact came from ("Source 1 states…; the chart in Source 2 shows…").
- Evaluate: decide which source is more reliable, more recent, or more relevant for your purpose.
Take notes in keywords rather than full sentences, and organise them in a graphic organiser such as a table with one column per source. Recognising internal text structures (sequence, cause and effect, compare and contrast) also helps you find the part of a source that answers your question.
Answering Evaluative Questions
Evaluative questions ask you to judge, not just find. For example: Which source would be most useful for learning how to prepare for a hurricane, and why? A strong answer names the source and gives a reason drawn from the text, such as "Source 2, because it lists the steps for preparing a home, while Source 1 only describes past hurricanes." Check for facts versus opinions, for clues that a writer may be biased, and for dates that show whether information is current.
Daniel wants to find every page in a history textbook that mentions Nanny Town. Which part of the book should he use?
The glossary, which lists every topic in page order with dates
The title page, which names the author
The table of contents, which lists every name in the book
The index, which lists topics alphabetically with page numbers
A question asks, 'In what year did the first group of East Indians arrive in Jamaica?' Which reading strategy is most efficient for finding the answer in a long passage?
Skimming every paragraph to understand the main idea first
Scanning for a four-digit year near the words East Indians
Reading the passage aloud twice from beginning to end
Looking only at the title and the last sentence
Source 1 says that plastic bottles in gullies block drains during heavy rain. Source 2 is a chart showing that most of the litter collected from a gully was plastic bottles. Which conclusion is supported by both sources together?
Plastic bottles are the only cause of flooding anywhere in Jamaica
Gullies should be filled in with concrete
Clearing plastic bottles from gullies could reduce blocked drains
Glass bottles cause more damage to drains than plastic bottles do
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.