Punctuation practice: Instructional texts

Instructional texts are the bread and butter of writing. Practical and straightforward, their purpose is to convey messages clearly. And, the punctuation reflects this. So, this month’s ‘Punctuation practice’ article focuses on a limited range of marks, demonstrating how they match the text’s tone and message.

Use the early oral activities (right) to revise the formation of instructions; have fun with the safari park keeper and animals ordering visitors and one another about in the Interactive resource , ‘Animal punctuation: Instructional texts’; and use the Activity sheets , ‘Punctuation practice: Instructional texts’ to help children consider the impact and appropriateness of certain punctuation marks. Finally, guide the children towards recognising that some punctuation rules may be flexible and many writers have a personal punctuation style.

Activities

1. Group boss
2. Listen to me
3. Make a match
4. Tell me more!
5. Don’t over do it
6. Top tips