Prove Your Reading Choices

Overview

In this final lesson of Reading Texts with Purpose, students independently analyse a new written or multimodal text. They identify the text type, purpose and intended audience, then justify each conclusion with at least three specific features before refining their thinking through group discussion.

Learning intentions

• We are learning to identify the type, purpose and intended audience of a text.
• We are learning to use specific evidence to justify our interpretations.
• We are learning to communicate, challenge and refine ideas respectfully.
• We are learning to make deliberate reading choices based on how a text is designed to affect its audience.

Success criteria

• I can identify the text type and explain how I know.
• I can state the author’s purpose and support it with at least three features.
• I can infer the intended audience and identify audience clues.
• I can listen respectfully, respond to other interpretations and improve my explanation.

Curriculum links

• Writing to inform — grouping information logically, using precise language, details and examples, and concluding clearly.
• Writing to persuade — identifying purpose, audience, emotive language and supporting details.
• Audience, purpose and language choice — explaining why content is included or left out and how choices may affect others.
• Writing processes — selecting an organiser suited to the purpose and structure of the task.
• Key competencies: thinking; using language, symbols and texts; relating to others; managing self.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Recap and model. Open with the recap and noticing slides and display a short, unfamiliar multimodal text, such as a school recycling poster or public information graphic. Students turn and talk: “What do you notice, and what might the creator want the audience to do or think?” Quickly revisit the meanings of text type, purpose, audience and feature. Emphasise that a strong interpretation is supported by evidence, not just a personal reaction.

2. 5–8 min · Explain the task. Show the independent analysis instructions and distribute the text analysis response sheet. Explain that students will analyse the new text silently and complete all three structured responses:

• “I think this is a ___ because…”
• “The author’s purpose is to ___ because…”
• “The intended audience is likely ___ because…”

Remind students that each conclusion needs at least three features. Features might include the heading, images, layout, facts, examples, word choice, tone, font, colour, instructions or information included and left out.

3. 8–28 min · Independent analysis. Provide each student with the same age-appropriate new text or multimodal text and allow quiet working time. Students complete the worksheet, recording three or more features for each conclusion and explaining how each feature provides evidence. Circulate and conference briefly. Ask: “Where is your evidence?” “How does that feature help the text achieve its purpose?” “What does this clue suggest about the audience?” Encourage students to distinguish between what the text shows and what they infer.

4. 28–38 min · Group discussion and challenge. Arrange students in six groups of five. Display the group discussion protocol. Each student shares one conclusion and their strongest piece of evidence. Group members listen, then ask one respectful question, such as “What makes you think that?” or “Could this feature suggest another audience?” Students may agree, challenge or refine an interpretation, but must refer to the text rather than dismissing a person’s idea. Groups identify one interpretation they consider especially well supported and explain why.

5. 38–43 min · Revise and strengthen. Students return to their worksheets and use a different-coloured pen to revise at least one response. They add a missing feature, replace a vague claim with precise evidence, or clarify the link between a feature and the author’s purpose or audience. Invite two students to share a before-and-after sentence. Highlight how discussion can improve, rather than simply change, an interpretation.

6. 43–45 min · Exit reflection. Use the reflection and exit prompt. Students complete the final box on the worksheet: “The strongest evidence I used today was ___ because it shows ___.” Collect worksheets as students leave.

Resources

• the complete reading-purpose lesson deck
• the text analysis response sheet
• One unfamiliar Year 6 written or multimodal text for each student
• Projector or interactive display
• Highlighters or coloured pens
• Timer
• Six group tables or discussion areas

Assessment

• During independent work, check whether students correctly identify the text type and record at least three relevant features for each conclusion.
• Listen during group discussions for accurate use of evidence, recognition of audience clues and respectful challenge or refinement of ideas.
• Use the completed worksheet and exit reflection to assess clear communication, purposeful evidence and whether revisions strengthen the original interpretation.

Differentiation

• Support students with a teacher-selected text containing clear headings, images and audience clues. Provide a small word bank: inform, persuade, entertain, explain, instruct, audience, evidence, feature.
• Offer sentence starters on the worksheet and allow students to orally rehearse an answer with a partner before writing. Read the text aloud and enlarge it for students who need visual or reading support.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach key terms with simple examples and accept labelled evidence, oral recording or speech-to-text before students develop full sentences.
• Extend confident readers by asking them to explain how one feature could influence different audiences, or to identify important information the creator deliberately left out.