Informative Writing
What separates informative writing from the other two types of writing is its purpose.
Informative writing sets out “to increase the readers’ knowledge of a subject, to help readers better understand a procedure or process, or to provide readers with an enhanced comprehension of a concept."
Common Core Standards, English Language Arts Appendix A
Commonly understood academic writing is classified as informative:
- Reports for history or science class
- Book reports
- Papers analyzing a piece of literature
Common uses of informative writing for adults would include instructions or personal resumes.
Informative writing seeks to explain how and why, helping the reader understand a topic or question. This type of writing explains what the writer knows about a subject matter.
Informative writing often dominates student-writing experiences, especially in the homeschool where parents feel compelled to prove that the child has learned the subject’s content.
