Let's Look at Functional Text

Fucntional text is the "everyday" print that readers come in contact with. Functional text typically provides information and helps us as readers. It can come in many forms, but some examples are fliers, phamplets, recipes, menus, and directions.
There is usually a piece of functional text on the SOL test (Grades 3-5) for students to work with and it is important for us as teachers and parents to expose our children to multiple examples of functional text. Discuss functional text using some of these question stems...

• What is this?
• Example response: "A soup can label"
• What kind of information is it giving us?
• Example response: "The brand, what type of soup, how much is in the can, the nutritional information, the ingredients"
• Why is this information important?
• Why do you think the information is organized this way?

Ask some specific literal questions that encourage the child to locate information. In the case of the soup can, possibly ask...

• What flavor is this soup? How do you know? (Always encourage children to prove with text evidence.)
• What is the first ingredient listed?
• How many grams of fat does this soup have?
• If I have questions about this soup, is there a phone number I can call?

The BIG THING is that children are engaging with the printed material. We also want children to realize that TEXT is all around us and does not JUST appear inside books.

You can try out this exercise with the younger and the older students, just tailor your questions appropriately. Practice this exercise often.

• If you are at a restaurant, use the menu.
• If you are on the computer looking up a movie time, have your child do the searching.
• If you are at church, use the bulletin.
• If you are in the grocery store line, use a product from your cart.
• If you are in the car, use the dashboard panel of your car.
• If you find a flier on your doorstep, use that.

There is functional text everywhere!

Have a GREAT Tuesday. Thanks for checking in!
Mrs. Horsley