Functional text helps people do regular things everyday. What are some examples of functional text?
-Directions
-Maps
-Captions
-Emails/Letters
-Receipts
-Traffic signs/Regular signs
-Labels (food, products, clothing tags)
-Advertisements
-Bank statements
-Checks
-Technical directions (putting together products)
I used to think that functional text was intimidating to teach, and some forms of functional text are harder to teach than others. Most forms of functional text are easy to teach to 7th graders though. They have a good background knowledge of the world around them, and a lot of my students were more street savvy than classroom savvy.
Functional text is just that: It's about the reading the world around you and understanding the rules of society and life.
Incorporating all text, informative, persuasive and functional throughout the school year is much better than jamming it in right before the test. I would suggest either picking a day once a week (for example if your school has a short day/early release day) or every other week, you can easily incorporate functional, informative and persuasive text into your school year. Better yet, get with the teachers that are on your team, the teachers that teach math, science, and social studies, and give them strategies on how to teach this type of reading in their classrooms.
Good luck, and coming soon will be a giveaway of one of my favorite books!
