Teaching procedural writing can feel simple at first. Your students already know how to do plenty of things, so writing directions should be easy, right?
Then they actually start writing.
Suddenly, “put it together” becomes a step. “Cook it until it’s done” becomes a direction. “Get the stuff you need” becomes the entire materials list.
That’s where mentor texts can help. When your students see strong examples of procedural writing, they start to notice what writers actually do. They include clear steps. They use precise verbs. They organize information in a logical order. They add tips, warnings, diagrams, and details that help the reader succeed.
If you teach 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade, these books can help you introduce procedural writing in a way that feels fun, purposeful, and easy for your students to understand.
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How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth by Michelle Robinson
How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth is one of the most fun books to use when you introduce procedural writing. The topic is silly, but the structure is clear. Your students can see how the author uses numbered steps, illustrations, and specific directions to explain a process.
This book works especially well when you want your students to understand that procedural writing does not have to be boring. A how-to piece can still have voice, humor, and personality while following a clear sequence.
After reading, you can have your students brainstorm unusual how-to topics, such as how to train a dragon, how to catch a cloud, or how to sneak past a sleeping giant. This helps them practice the structure of procedural writing without feeling boxed in by basic topics.
How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan
How to Babysit a Grandma is a sweet and accessible mentor text for procedural writing because it is written like a guide. Instead of simply telling a story, it gives the reader directions for how to take care of a grandma.
You can use this book to show your students how procedural writing can be organized into sections. The book includes different parts of the process, such as what to do at the park, what to eat, and how to say goodbye. That makes it a helpful model for students who are ready to move beyond one simple list of steps.
This is a great mentor text if you want your students to write “how to take care of” pieces. They could write about how to take care of a pet, a younger sibling, a plant, a classroom library, or even a teacher.
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
How to Make Friends with a Ghost is a strong choice for upper elementary because it includes more developed sections and a creative topic. It gives students a model for how procedural writing can include headings, tips, labeled illustrations, and warnings.
Your students can study how the author breaks the topic into manageable parts instead of putting everything into one long list. This is a helpful lesson for 4th and 5th graders who need practice organizing information in a way that is easy for the reader to follow.
You can also use this book to talk about audience. The writer knows the reader might be nervous about ghosts, so the directions feel gentle and reassuring. That opens up a good conversation about how procedural writers need to think about what their reader needs to know, feel, and understand.
Caring for Your Lion by Tammi Sauer
Caring for Your Lion is another playful book that works well for procedural writing. The premise is funny, but the structure gives you plenty to teach. Students can notice how the author uses diagrams, labels, warnings, and detailed illustrations to support the written directions.
This is especially helpful for upper elementary students because it shows that procedural writing is not only about the words. Visual features matter, too. A diagram, arrow, label, or close-up illustration can make directions clearer.
After reading, your students can create their own “care guide” for an unusual animal. They might write about how to care for a dragon, unicorn, alien pet, or classroom monster. This gives them practice with materials, steps, warnings, and tips.
How to Survive as a Shark by Kristen Foote
How to Survive as a Shark is a great fit for upper elementary because it blends informational writing with procedural writing. It is written from a creative perspective while still teaching real information about sharks.
You can use this book to show your students that procedural writing can go beyond recipes and crafts. It can explain how to survive, how to behave, or how to succeed in a specific role.
This is a strong mentor text for students who enjoy animals or science. After reading, your students could write pieces like “How to Survive as a Desert Animal,” “How to Survive as a Rainforest Plant,” or “How to Survive as a Kid in the Cafeteria.” It gives them room to use facts while still practicing sequence, organization, and precise directions.
Plant, Cook, Eat! by Joe Archer and Caroline Craig
Plant, Cook, Eat! is especially helpful because it includes real-life procedures connected to gardening and cooking. Your students can see how a procedural text can be part of a larger informational book.
This is a strong option if you want to connect procedural writing to science, health, or food. Students can study how the book explains steps clearly while also giving the reader background information.
You can use this book to help students compare different types of procedural writing. A recipe might look different from planting directions, but both need materials, steps, sequence words, and clear details.
How to Be a Scientist by Steve Mould
How to Be a Scientist is a helpful mentor text if you want to connect procedural writing with science investigations. It shows how instructions can be used to guide experiments, observations, and hands-on learning.
This book works well for upper elementary because students are often asked to follow directions during science activities, but they do not always think about how those directions are written. You can use this mentor text to discuss clarity, safety, materials, and step-by-step organization.
After reading, your students can write their own science-based procedures. They might explain how to test a paper airplane design, how to observe plant growth, or how to complete a simple experiment.
The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli
This one is not a traditional procedural writing book, but it can still be useful when you want students to think about writing as a process. The main character wants to write the best story, and she gets different advice from different people.
You can use this book to introduce the idea that good procedural writing needs more than a list of steps. Writers need to think about purpose, audience, and details. If your students are writing a piece called “How to Write a Great Story” or “How to Revise Your Writing,” this book can help them think through the process.
It is also a nice way to connect procedural writing to your broader writing workshop routines.
Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle by Chris Raschka
Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle is a simple but powerful mentor text for teaching process. It shows the steps, mistakes, practice, and persistence involved in learning how to ride a bike.
For procedural writing, this book helps students see that some processes are not perfectly neat. Sometimes a writer needs to include reminders, encouragement, warnings, or troubleshooting tips.
This is a great book to use before asking students to write about something they learned how to do. They might write about how to ride a scooter, how to shoot a basketball, how to play an instrument, or how to solve a tricky math problem.
How to Be a Villain by Neil Zawacki
How to Be a Villain is a fun and unexpected mentor text for procedural writing, especially if your upper elementary students like humor. How to Be a Villain is written like a guidebook, with advice on evil laughs, secret lairs, master plans, and other over-the-top villain essentials.
You can use this book to show your students how procedural writing can have a strong voice. The topic is silly, but the structure still gives students a clear model for explaining how to become or do something. It also gives you a chance to talk about headings, categories, tips, and specific details that help organize a how-to text.
After reading, your students could write their own humorous guide, such as “How to Be a Superhero,” “How to Be a Classroom Spy,” “How to Be a Dragon Trainer,” or “How to Take Over the Playground.” This kind of prompt lets students practice procedural writing while adding personality, humor, and creative details.
Using These Books to Teach Procedural Writing
Once your students have read a few mentor texts, you can start helping them notice the common features of procedural writing. You might ask them to look for:
- Clear title
- Purpose or introduction
- Materials or ingredients
- Numbered steps
- Sequence words
- Precise verbs
- Warnings or safety tips
- Helpful illustrations
- Diagrams, arrows, or labels
- Tips for success
- Conclusion or final reminder
Upper elementary students are ready to go beyond “first, next, then, last.” These mentor texts can help them see how procedural writers make decisions. They need to decide what the reader already knows, what the reader might forget, where the reader might get confused, and what details will make the directions easier to follow.
You can also have your students compare two mentor texts. One might use numbered steps, while another uses headings. One might be funny, while another is more straightforward. One might include diagrams, while another relies more on descriptive language. These comparisons help students understand that procedural writing has structure, but writers still have choices.
Procedural Writing Ideas for Upper Elementary Students
After reading a few of these books, your students can write their own procedural pieces. Here are some student-friendly topics that work well in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade:
- How to play a favorite recess game
- How to make a simple snack
- How to take care of a pet
- How to survive a Monday morning
- How to organize your desk
- How to study for a test
- How to be a good friend
- How to draw a favorite animal
- How to complete a science experiment
- How to solve a type of math problem
- How to build something with blocks or paper
- How to get ready for a field trip
- How to choose a good book
- How to take care of a classroom library
- How to teach an alien about school
Procedural writing is a great genre because your students get to write about things they know. They can become the expert, teach their reader, and practice organizing information in a clear way.
With the right mentor texts, your students can move beyond basic directions and start writing procedures that are clear, detailed, organized, and engaging.
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