Activities to Teach Students to Choose the Text That Matches the Writer’s Purpose
![](https://dev.theedadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/G911029504-660x400.jpg)
Choosing the right text that corresponds to the writer’s purpose can be a challenging task for students. However, there are various activities that educators can utilize to teach students how to match up the text with the writer’s purpose successfully.
1. Identify the Purpose of Writing
Before students can match the text with the writer’s purpose, they must first understand and identify the purpose of writing. Educators can provide students with a range of different types of writing, such as persuasive, narrative, explanatory, and descriptive writing. Students will then analyze the text and determine the writer’s purpose for each.
2. Analyze Text Structures
Educators may introduce their students to different text structures and how they relate to the writer’s intention. For instance, persuasive writing usually contains a thesis statement, supporting arguments, and a call to action. Contrastingly, descriptive writing uses sensory information to give readers a mental picture of a person, place, or event. By presenting these diverse text structures through reading samples, students can identify the critical components and rationale behind a particular style.
3. Use Graphic Organizers
Graphic organizers are an effective way to help students organize their thinking and better comprehend the relationship between text and purpose. Educators can introduce different types of graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams, flowcharts, tables, and mind maps that students can use to identify connections between texts, their functions, and purpose.
4. Provide Text to Match the Purpose
To help students gain experience selecting the right text that aligns with the writer’s purpose, educators can provide suitable readings to match the purpose. For example, if the purpose is to persuade, then the educator can give students persuasive texts such as advertisements, editorial ads, or speeches, etc. If the goal is to inform, educators can provide explanatory writing such as informative articles, research papers, or informative essays.
5. Collaborative Reading and Analysis
Students can pair up and work collaboratively with a partner. These groups can be composed of students who have similar abilities or different reading levels. Educators may then assign a specific purpose of writing to students and divide each group into different text types. Once each group has read their text, they should analyze it and identify the writer’s purpose, using their knowledge of text structures and graphic organizers.
6. Engage in Discussions
Engaging students in discussions about the various writing purposes can help them gain a better understanding of how to identify them effectively. These discussions encourage students to analyze and interpret what they have read and, through peer discussion, determine the writer’s purpose. This activity encourages students, enhances critical thinking skills, and builds on their rhetorical knowledge.
In conclusion, teaching students to choose the text that matches the writer’s purpose is an important but challenging task. However, it is achievable with the right activities and assessment tools. Using these six activities, educators can help students develop a comprehensive understanding of the connection between texts, writing, and purpose.