-game rules- science experiments-recipes-tutorials-

Procedural texts are written to help readers follow a set of steps to achieve an intended purpose. There are two major purposes for writing procedural texts: to explain or to instruct.
Types of procedural texts include the following:

Instruct                                                                   Explain

how to build something                                      how to prepare food
how to play a game                                               how to care for something
how to conduct an experiment                         how to treat something
how to organize                                                     how something is made
how to write speeches or reports                    how to operate something
how to get somewhere

Teach your students to use procedural prompts to write their texts

-Use bullets, numbers, or time-related words (first-last-then-before-next-after-while) to help the reader follow along.

-Sometimes the best way to represent information in nonfiction texts is by diagrams and pictures that have labels. They can support the texts and provide additional information.

-Use command verbs in the present tense. Prepare a list of present-tense command verbs to be places on a word wall (fold-turn-reverse-break- wait-begin-beat-add-put-blend-cut-mix)

-Giving concise, detailed information is crucial to procedural texts. Specific words denoting time, amount, color, size, distance, and range of temperature for example, help the author communicate instructions explicitly.

-Build background knowledge for procedural texts by asking your students: “Tell me what comes to mind when you hear the word recipe (or game instruction…). They will probably come up with words such as directions, ingredients, instructions or measurements. Record the answer on the chalkboard or a chart. Then, give them a chance to evaluate and explore their responses by questions such as, “What made you say ingredients?” After this, you could pass out examples of the genre such as an actual cookbook or real game instructions or an interesting tutorial.