๐Ÿ  Back to Home Library
๐Ÿ“ฐ Reading...
Page 1 of 11
๐Ÿง
The Text Type
Tracker!
A Reading Adventure About Purpose & Structure
๐Ÿ“ฐ ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ’ฌ ๐Ÿ”Ž โœจ

Learn to spot narrative, informative, and persuasive texts like a real reading detective! ยท Year 3โ€“5

p.1
Welcome!

Meet Piper the Purpose Penguin! ๐Ÿง

Hello, reader explorer! I am Piper, the penguin who loves sorting every text into the right iceberg box! ๐ŸงŠ

Today we will track down three big text types and the clues that reveal them.

We will investigate:

๐Ÿ“– Narrative texts that entertain with characters and events.

๐Ÿง  Informative texts that explain facts and ideas.

๐Ÿ“ฃ Persuasive texts that try to convince us.

Then we will compare headings, diagrams, opinions, evidence, and author's purpose!

Ready to become a Text Type Tracker? Slide into the first clue! โ„๏ธ

๐Ÿง
Piper the Purpose Penguin
๐ŸŽฏ Tracks author's purpose
๐Ÿ“ฐ Reads all kinds of texts
๐Ÿ”Ž Spots clue words fast
๐Ÿ† Loves reader certificates
p.2
Clue 1

๐Ÿ“– Narrative Texts Tell Stories

A narrative is written to entertain us. It tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Narratives usually have:

๐Ÿ‘ง Characters

๐ŸŒณ A setting

โšก A problem

โœ… A resolution

Clue words might include feelings, actions, dialogue, and time words like one day or later.

Mini Text

One windy morning, Zara found a silver key under the old tree. She followed the glowing trail, unlocked a tiny door in the hill, and discovered a room full of singing clocks.

๐Ÿ“–
Narrative Clues
๐Ÿ‘ฅ Characters do things
๐Ÿ•’ Events happen in order
๐Ÿ’ญ Feelings and dialogue appear
๐ŸŽญ Purpose: entertain
๐Ÿง  Quick Quiz!

Which clue best shows the mini text is a narrative?

p.3
Clue 2

๐Ÿง  Informative Texts Explain

An informative text is written to inform or explain. It teaches us facts.

These texts often use:

๐Ÿ”น headings and subheadings

๐Ÿ”น diagrams or labels

๐Ÿ”น topic words

๐Ÿ”น facts instead of opinions

Piper says: if the writer is teaching how something works, that is a huge informative clue!

Mini Text

Penguins have waterproof feathers that trap warmth. They live mainly in the Southern Hemisphere. Emperor penguins keep eggs warm by balancing them on their feet.

๐Ÿง 
Informative Clues
๐Ÿ“š Facts and explanations
๐Ÿท๏ธ Headings and labels
๐Ÿ–ผ๏ธ Diagrams may appear
๐ŸŽฏ Purpose: inform
๐Ÿ“˜ Remember This
A text can still be interesting and fun while being informative. The key clue is that it is mainly teaching facts, not telling a story or arguing an opinion.
p.4
Clue 3

๐Ÿ“ฃ Persuasive Texts Try to Convince

A persuasive text tries to make the reader agree with the writer.

It often includes:

๐Ÿ’ฌ an opinion

๐Ÿ’ช reasons

๐Ÿ“Œ evidence or examples

๐Ÿ—ฃ๏ธ strong words like must, best, or important

Mini Text

Every school should have a veggie garden. Gardens help children learn science, teamwork, and healthy eating. A school garden is not just fun. It is a smart idea for every class.

๐Ÿ“ฃ
Persuasive Clues
๐Ÿ—จ๏ธ Opinion is clear
๐Ÿงฑ Reasons support ideas
โญ Strong language appears
๐ŸŽฏ Purpose: persuade
๐Ÿง  Quick Quiz!

Which sentence sounds most persuasive?

p.5
Clue 4

๐Ÿ”Ž Text Features Are Helpful Clues

Readers should look at the features around the words too.

Narratives might use paragraphs, dialogue, and pictures of characters.

Informative texts may include headings, captions, diagrams, charts, and bold words.

Persuasive texts might use slogans, rhetorical questions, and reasons grouped into paragraphs.

When you are unsure, ask: What is the writer trying to do?

๐Ÿ”Ž
Feature Finder
๐Ÿท๏ธ Headings help informative texts
โ“ Rhetorical questions fit persuasive texts
๐Ÿ’ฌ Dialogue fits narratives
๐Ÿงญ Features guide the reader
๐Ÿ’ก Piper's Tip
Never guess from one word only. Use the whole text: title, layout, features, and the writer's purpose. Strong readers collect several clues before deciding.
p.6
Clue 5

๐ŸŽฏ Author's Purpose

The author's purpose is the reason the text was written.

There are three big purpose questions:

1๏ธโƒฃ Is the writer trying to entertain me?

2๏ธโƒฃ Is the writer trying to inform me?

3๏ธโƒฃ Is the writer trying to persuade me?

Some texts blend purposes, but one purpose is usually strongest.

For challenge questions, choose the main purpose, not just a tiny detail.

๐ŸŽฏ
Purpose Target
๐ŸŽญ Entertain = make reading enjoyable
๐Ÿ“˜ Inform = teach facts
๐Ÿ“ฃ Persuade = change minds
โญ Pick the main purpose
๐Ÿง  Quick Quiz!

A text with the title How Bees Make Honey is most likely written to...

p.7
Clue 6

๐Ÿ†š Compare Two Texts

Sometimes a question asks you to compare texts. Here is Piper's quick routine:

๐Ÿ”น Find each text's purpose.

๐Ÿ”น Notice the features.

๐Ÿ”น Look at the language.

For example, a story about a lost puppy and a fact sheet about caring for puppies are both about dogs, but they are not the same text type.

Topic does not decide the text type. Purpose and structure do.

๐Ÿ†š
Same Topic, Different Type
๐Ÿถ Story about a puppy = narrative
๐Ÿ“„ Puppy care fact sheet = informative
๐Ÿ“ฃ Adopt puppies poster = persuasive
๐Ÿง  Topic can stay the same
p.8
Review

๐Ÿง  Piper's Memory Trick

Remember the three main text types with this sentence:

"Nimble Icebergs Point the way!"

NNimbleTap to reveal
IIcebergsTap to reveal
PPointTap to reveal
๐Ÿ“– Narrative: characters, setting, events
๐Ÿง  Informative: facts, headings, diagrams
๐Ÿ“ฃ Persuasive: opinion, reasons, strong words
๐ŸŽฏ Ask: entertain, inform, or persuade?
๐Ÿ† Final Quiz!

Text Type Tracker Challenge

Answer 6 questions. You need at least 5 correct to earn the Super Text Tracker Certificate.

Question 1 of 6 Score: 0 / 6
๐Ÿ“–
๐ŸŽ“
Certificate

Your Super Text Tracker Certificate

Type a name, then download or print the certificate.