Reading Maps, Labels, Charts and Other Graphic Information

Navigating Text Structure and Data Tables

Written material frequently incorporates structured visual markers to guide the reader. Headings indicate the main topic or overall subject of a section of text. Subheadings divide a main topic into smaller, more specific subtopics. Together, headings and subheadings establish a clear hierarchical organizational structure within written text. Both logically and visually, subheadings are subordinate to headings. Common visual cues such as font size, bolding, and indentation differentiate headings from subheadings so readers can distinguish primary subjects from supporting discussions.

Readers rely on these hierarchical formatting cues for multiple reading strategies. Before reading in depth, readers use headings and subheadings to preview text structure and grasp the general organization of ideas. During targeted research or review, headings and subheadings assist readers in scanning quickly to locate specific information without needing to read every paragraph in full.

When information involves structured comparisons, authors often arrange it into tables. A table organizes numerical or categorical data into horizontal rows and vertical columns. The precise intersection of a row and a column in a table is called a cell. To read a table accurately, column headers define the specific attribute or category represented in the vertical columns beneath them, while row headers define the specific record or category represented across the horizontal row. To read a table, use its row and column headers to locate the data at their intersection.

Complete data comprehension also requires checking the surrounding text of a table. Notes beneath tables or charts may provide qualifiers, data sources, or exceptions. Missing these notes can cause a reader to overlook essential contextual boundaries or critical restrictions that apply to the figures displayed in the cells.