Deciding what facts to include in a report is sometimes quite a challenge for young writers. Even when they understand the difference between facts and opinions and know how to avoid opinions, there’s often so much information to choose from that they really have a hard time selecting what to write.
If that describes your young writer, then what they need to understand is the concept of relevance. A great definition for the word ‘relevant’ is = appropriate for the purpose. This means that in order to know whether something is relevant or not, writers must first be clear on the purpose.
So what’s the purpose of the report? In general, a report is designed to provide a specific audience with details to help them get a clear understanding of what happened in a particular situation.
But questions remain: Why do they need to know what happened? What are they going to do with the information? Ultimately, knowing the purpose helps writers decide if the detail is needed to help readers fulfill their purpose. So, does it matter that the person observing the situation is best friends with one of the people involved? Maybe not. Does it matter that one of the children stopped to tie their shoelaces before entering class? Probably not.
A good way to help young writers understand the connection between ideas and purpose is to ask them this question: How does know that detail help the audience? Guide young writers through activities which help them see the connection between details and purpose. You can discuss a report context, decide on audience and purpose, then list a series of statements and have young writers decide if they are relevant or not. To make the activity more fun, write out the sentences on slips of paper and have them stick them in the appropriate column. Then, have them create their own sentences to place in the correct column. Discuss the appropriateness of their selections and show them how to make the best choices. Do this a few times to ensure your young writer(s) have gained the skill of selecting only relevant details.
NOTE: In many cases, young writers will be creating their own details as reports are often about situations they haven’t experienced. That’s ok. Just explain to them the type of details needed so they could make up some great ones.
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