Worked example
Question: A text with numbered steps and ingredients is probably instructing because it tells how to do something.
Key concept
Learning goal: I can identify what a text is for by noticing its features and structure.
- Identify the purpose of texts used at school and in the community.
- Recognise that texts with similar purposes often use similar structures and features.
Steps to use
Look at text → Notice feature → Infer purpose → Explain
See it, then try it
Feature clues reveal purpose
recipe: stepsposter: bold messagestory: charactersreport: facts
Explain feature plus purpose
I noticed...This shows the purpose is...because...
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 a range of texts encountered in school and in the community, and identifying their purpose
- E2: recognising that types of texts with similar purposes usually have predictable structures
Common misconceptions
- Guessing from topic — Use features as evidence.
- One feature only — Check more than one clue if possible.
- Purpose word missing — Name the purpose clearly.
Try these
- Feature hunt — Find features in a real or teacher-made text.title / steps / facts
- Purpose sort — Sort sample text cards by purpose.entertain / inform / persuade
- Evidence sentence — Use one feature as proof.It has steps, so...
Explain and apply
Match feature to purpose
A page has a title, numbered steps and a picture of ingredients. What is the text probably for?
Answer and teaching guidance
These features suggest an instruction text because the reader is being shown what to do in order.
Notice opinion clues
Read: Our class should plant more trees because they give shade. What is the writer trying to do?
Answer and teaching guidance
The writer is trying to persuade. The word should and the reason because they give shade are useful clues.
Find information clues
Read: Frogs lay eggs in water. Which feature shows this text is giving information?
Answer and teaching guidance
It gives a fact about frogs. Informative texts teach the reader about a topic.
Choose the best text
Which text would help you make a paper hat: a story, a poster or steps with pictures?
Answer and teaching guidance
Steps with pictures are best because they show the order and actions needed to make something.
Check your understanding
Quick checks
- What feature suggests a recipe?
- What purpose might a story have?
- How can a poster persuade?
- Use a feature as evidence.
I am ready when I can
- I can identify the purpose of texts used at school and in the community.
- I can recognise that texts with similar purposes often use similar structures and features.
Curriculum equivalents: Victoria, NSW and international
Curriculum equivalents for Different texts and identify some features that indicate their purposes
Mapped skill: discuss different texts and identify some features that indicate their purposes
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 | AC9E1LY01 · Year 1 |
| Victoria | Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 — English | VC2E1LY01 · 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 — Identify clues to whether a book tells an imagined story or gives information.
As you watch: What clue tells you what the book is trying to do?
Load video player Loads YouTube in this lesson. See the video notice below.
Try it: Choose two books with different purposes. Point to a feature that helps you identify each purpose.
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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