Grade 6 · Writing · Lesson 35

Create a how-to guide for younger learners

A how-to guide (also called a procedural text) tells a reader exactly how to do something step by step. Writing one for a younger audience — say, a 7 or 8 year old — is a real challenge: you must be clear, patient, and use language that a young reader can follow without help. Professional technical writers face this same challenge every time they write a manual for a new product. In this lesson you will learn to build a complete how-to guide and adapt it so a younger learner can succeed.

What this lesson teaches

1Write clear numbered steps in a procedural how-to guide using imperative verbs
2Adapt vocabulary and tone for a 7–8 year-old audience by simplifying language and sentence length
3Include a materials list, diagrams, warnings, and a glossary to support younger readers
4Test the guide with a younger reader to check whether every step can be followed independently

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