6 Types of Reading Texts and How to Use Them in a Classroom

23rd April 2025

Reading is the heart of a great classroom. But it’s not just about handing out books and hoping for the best. The kind of text you choose can shape how students think, engage, and even feel about reading.
 

The good news? There’s a wide range of reading texts out there. And each type can do something special—whether it’s sparking imagination, building facts, or even persuading someone to think differently.
 

In this blog, we’ll walk through the main types of reading texts and talk about practical ways to bring them into your classroom.
 

6 Types Of Reading Texts To Generate Curiosity For Learning
 

Here are a few different types of reading texts that you can use in the classroom to help your students love reading:
 

1. Narrative Texts: Building Imagination and Emotion
 

Storybooks, fairy tales, and novels are all examples of classic narratives. They’re the kind of texts that pull you in and make you fall in love with reading.
 

Why use them?
 

• Students learn about the beginning, middle, and end of stories.
• They develop emotional intelligence by connecting with characters.
• They boost creativity and imagination.

How to use them:
 

• Start your day with a read-aloud story.
• Create story maps to track characters and events.
• Ask children to change the conclusion or carry on the story.

Narratives are perfect for building a classroom culture where students feel safe to explore their thoughts and express emotions.

2. Informational Texts: Building Knowledge
 

These texts are all about facts. You’ll find them in textbooks, nonfiction books, articles, and even posters.

Why use them?
 

• They introduce real-world topics.
• They improve vocabulary with subject-specific terms.
• They teach students how to find and use information.

How to use them:
 

• Use with science or social studies units.
• Assign group readings with follow-up presentations.
• Instruct students on scanning and skimming methods.

Students who read informational literature are better prepared for real-world tasks including conducting research, interpreting instructions, and completing forms.
 

3. Persuasive Texts: Teaching Opinions and Arguments
 

These are texts designed to convince someone. They include speeches, ads, letters to editors, and opinion essays.
 

Why use them?
 

• They help students learn how to form an argument.
• They teach the value of evidence.
• They show how language and tone affect perception.

How to use them:
 

• Compare two opposing articles on the same topic.
• Break down the structure of a persuasive piece—claim, support, conclusion.
• Ask students to write their own persuasive letters on school issues (like uniform policies or lunch options).

These texts are great for older students who are beginning to see the power of their own voice.
 

4. Procedural Texts: Teaching ‘How-To’ Thinking
 

Procedural texts help children learn to follow and sequence steps clearly, enhancing reading comprehension and logical thinking. Activities like recipes, craft guides, or science experiments make learning hands-on and engaging.
 

Why use them?
 

• They build logical thinking.
• They encourage independence.
• They teach sequencing and clarity.

How to use them:
 

• Do a “follow-the-steps” cooking day in class.
• Ask students to write directions for a game.
• Use science experiments as a way to blend reading with action.

These books make reading more engaging and frequently include some light entertainment.

5. Descriptive Texts: Improving Sensational Language and Vocabulary
 

Students can visualize places, people, or objects through descriptive texts. They can be as short as a paragraph or as long as a setting-rich story.

What us them:
 

• Build vocabulary with adjectives and adverbs.
• Teach figurative language like similes and metaphors.
• Help students visualize what they read.

How to use them:
 

• Reading a paragraph and asking students to draw the scene.
• Creating sensory word banks.
• Writing unique descriptive writing pieces on a favorite food, animal, or location.

6. Expository Texts: Digging into the Details
 

These are deep-dive texts meant to explain or analyze. You’ll find them in research reports and essays.

Why use them?
 

• Great for teaching summary skills.
• Help students learn to separate facts from opinion.
• Strengthen report writing.

How to use them:
 

• Break long texts into sections.
• Use graphic organizers like cause-effect charts or Venn diagrams.
• Give them a brief explanatory essay to write once they have done some research on the subject.

Expository texts help students take what they know and explain it clearly to others.
 

Bottom Line
 

Understanding when and how to employ various reading text types, can fundamentally alter the classroom reading experience. Be creative, give it purpose, and never forget the reader. Anyone pursuing an International Teaching Diploma will find this to be a useful skill for their teaching profession as it not only develops cognitive function but also fosters understanding of real world scenarios.