What is this text for?
Identify the purpose of familiar texts — to entertain (imaginative), to give information, to persuade, or to tell us what to do — and describe how imaginative, informative and persuasive texts differ
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“What is this text for? means practising the idea at the table with a short text or prompt and one clear check. We will demo once, then your child tries.”
Bring to the table
- A short familiar text, poem, or picture book page
- Sticky notes or pencil
Extra for the adult
Worked example. “I think she is worried because the text says her hands were shaking.”
Optional challenge. For What is this text for?, add one harder example after success.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: examples tried; results; support used. This session samples What is this text for?, not mastery.
Share and support
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
What is this text for? means practising the idea at the table with a short text or prompt and one clear check. We will demo once, then your child tries.
Materials: A short familiar text, poem, or picture book page; Sticky notes or pencil. 1. Say the goal of What is this text for? in plain words once. 2. Adult reads a short stretch aloud and models one think-aloud (predict, notice, or question). 3. Child reads or listens to three short stretches and gives one evidence-based response each time. 4. Fresh check: one fresh evidence-based response. Record and stop. Done: three responses tied to words or pictures in the text. Proof: parent note of examples and results. Stop: End after the fresh check; keep optional challenge for another day.
Family records and proof options
Keep a record of your learning
Save photos, notes, and attendance. Export a proof packet for compliance or portfolio reviews.
Practice this concept
Start practiceWhat is this text for? practice
Practice key ideas from What is this text for?.
Free · no login · no ads · Practice answers and completion are not saved. Parent observation remains the lesson record.
Learning resources
Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.
Library of Congress · Practice link — not the full lesson
The Young Crab & His Mother
Before you open · source notes
The Young Crab & His Mother supports asking what a text is for. Not a research report.
Free public-domain story text, no sign-in.
Before you openAsk the learner what this story is trying to teach or show.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Public Library of Congress Read.gov Aesop page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt. The story text is public domain on this page. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. This is reading text, not an automatically marked comprehension quiz.
Library of Congress / Read.gov. “The Young Crab & His Mother.” Public-domain text linked only; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute a separate edition.
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Say that a storybook is for enjoying a story, an animal fact book is for finding out facts, and a recipe or shopping list tells us what to do
- Sort a storybook, a fact book and a poster saying 'Come to our school fair!' into texts that entertain, inform or persuade, and point to words in the poster that try to convince the reader
- Choose which book to use to find out what koalas eat and explain why
“If your child wants to find out what koalas eat, do they know to pick an information book rather than a storybook — and can they say what each kind of book is for?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Conceptual
- Subject
- English
- Domain
- Reading Comprehension
- Age range
- Ages 5–12
Standards