Worked example
Question: A text has facts, labels and a heading. Its purpose is probably to inform, because it gives information.
Key concept
Learning goal: I can use a text's purpose and organisation to work out how it is structured.
- Compare what familiar texts are trying to do.
- Recognise common stages in texts such as recounts and procedures.
- Notice that words, pictures and diagrams can work together to organise information.
Steps to use
Identify purpose → Notice structure → Find key features → Explain
See it, then try it
Purpose controls the shape of the text
recount: first/next/finallynarrative: character/problem/endinginform: facts/headingsopinion: I think/because
Use clues to name the purpose
What is it trying to do?What features prove it?How is it organised?
Curriculum Coverage & Elaborations
Curriculum Coverage & Elaborations
The content description is the required target. The elaborations below are taught as examples and contexts, not as disconnected checklist wording.
- E1: discussing and comparing the purposes and organisation of familiar texts
- E2: becoming familiar with the typical stages of types of texts; for example, recount and procedure
- E3: recognising that the structure of a text may include words and pictures; for example, an informative text may include words, illustrations and diagrams
Common misconceptions
- Topic = purpose — Ask what the text is doing, not only what it is about.
- One structure for all texts — Match structure to purpose.
- No evidence — Point to a heading, time word, fact or opinion word.
Try these
- Purpose detective — Look at three short text examples and name the purpose.recount / story / information
- Structure sort — Match text features to purpose.heading → information text
- Change the purpose — Turn one event into a recount sentence and an opinion sentence.We went to the park. / I liked the park because...
Explain and apply
Purpose decides organisation
Compare a recount, report and instruction. What order would each one usually use?
Answer and teaching guidance
A recount often follows time order, a report groups information, and instructions use steps in order.
Find the organising clue
A page has First, Next and Finally. What purpose might those words support?
Answer and teaching guidance
Those words support a sequence, often recounting an event or explaining instructions.
Match text to job
Which text would use facts under headings: a report about frogs or a personal recount of recess?
Answer and teaching guidance
A report about frogs is more likely to group facts under headings. The organisation fits the purpose to inform.
Explain the choice
Complete: This text is organised with ____ because it is made to ____.
Answer and teaching guidance
The learner should connect a feature such as headings, time words or steps to a purpose such as inform, recount, explain or instruct.
Check your understanding
Quick checks
- What purpose uses first, next, finally?
- What purpose gives facts?
- Name one feature of an opinion text.
- How is a story organised?
I am ready when I can
- I can compare what familiar texts are trying to do.
- I can recognise common stages in texts such as recounts and procedures.
- I can notice that words, pictures and diagrams can work together to organise information.
Curriculum equivalents: Victoria, NSW and international
Curriculum equivalents for How texts are organised according to their purpose, such as...
Mapped skill: explore how texts are organised according to their purpose, such as to recount, narrate, express opinion, inform, report and explain
These references identify matching or closely related learning. Curriculum sequence, terminology and depth vary, so teachers should use the mapped skill and lesson difficulty to confirm suitability.
| Region | Curriculum framework | Closest level or code |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Australian Curriculum v9.0 | AC9E1LA03 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — English | VC2E1LA03 · Level 1 |
| New South Wales | NSW English K–10 Syllabus (2022) | EN1-RECOM-01 · Stage 1 |
| United States (USA) | Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts | Grade 1 |
| Canada (Ontario) | Ontario Curriculum — English | Grade 1 |
| United Kingdom (England) | National Curriculum in England — English | Year 2, Key Stage 1 |
| India | NCERT / CBSE — English | Class 1 |
Australian Curriculum v9.0 is the canonical source for this SkillrHub lesson. Victoria and NSW entries name the closest published state codes or outcomes; international entries are planning references rather than claims of identical curricula.
🎥 Optional Video Lesson
The SkillrHub lesson remains the primary learning resource. This optional video reinforces the explanation; you can complete the lesson and practice without watching.
Before you watch:
- Pause after each worked example.
- Try the examples yourself.
- Return to the SkillrHub lesson before continuing.
Recommended: Fiction v. Nonfiction
Khan Academy Kids — Compare a story made to imagine with a text made to give information.
As you watch: How does Reya decide whether a book is fiction or nonfiction?
Load video player Loads YouTube in this lesson. See the video notice below.
Try it: Find a storybook and an information book. Explain what each helps the reader do.
Video unavailable, inaccurate or unsuitable for this year? Report a video problem to SkillrHub by email. You can continue with the written lesson and practice resources.
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