Text types: Instructions

Overview

What are 'how to ...' instructions?

'How to ...' instructions tell us how to do or make something, such as play mahjong, carry out an experiment or build a kite.

Why do we use 'how to ...' instructions?

We use 'how to ...' instructions to find out how to do and make things. If we did not follow the instructions, we might forget some of the important materials, or we might do things in the wrong order, or we might miss out an important step. 'How to ...' instructions are important cultural texts, recording and passing on to the next generation how to play traditional games, how to make traditional crafts, and so on.

Children can follow 'how to ...' instructions to make simple crafts, such as models and kites, and to play fun games. This provides them with practice in careful reading within the context of a purposeful activity. With help they can also write simple instructions, sharing their favourite activities with their friends. 'How to ...' instructions are easy to write as they are quite predictable in terms of their vocabulary and grammatical features.

'How to ...' instructions can be found in a variety of media:

	activity books
	children's magazines
	the Internet
	television

How can these files help me?

In these files you will find answers to the following questions:

	How are 'how to ...' instructions structured?
	What are the typical grammatical features of 'how to ...' instructions?
	How can I use 'how to ...' instructions in the classroom?

Sample text

We have provided you with an example of 'how to ...' instructions - in this case guidelines for making a kite. The sample text is analysed in terms of its structure and typical grammatical features in the other files available in this set. For more information, choose from one of the options in the menu on the left.