Edit Article

wikiHow to Write Training Materials

Four Methods:Consider Your MarketThink Like a BeginnerQuestion Your InformationTest Your MaterialsCommunity Q&A

Those who know how to write training materials know that it takes a little bit more than just knowing how to do something. When you set out to write manuals, you need to be particularly aware of all the nuances involved in learning a specific topic, as well as able to organize the information and to present it in an engaging fashion.

Consider Your Market

  1. 1
    Determine whom the audience will be for your training materials. Writing training materials for children is very different than writing training materials for adults. You should also factor in the cultural backgrounds of the readers.
  2. 2
    Think about the market for the training materials you plan to write. If you plan a global outreach for your training materials, make sure you write in a vernacular that’s easy to translate into other languages.

Think Like a Beginner

  1. 1
    Analyze the information you have acquired on a specific topic. Put together research notes and jot down information you might want to add.
  2. 2
    Break the information into a number of segments to make it easier to handle. You might want to arrange the information according to category.
  3. 3
    Give your material some order by organizing it in sections that begin with the basics then become more detailed. Keeping a list, which you can use later as an index, offers you a general overview of the topics covered and helps you put all the material in order.

Question Your Information

  1. 1
    Erase prior knowledge of a specific topic out of your mind and look at your material with a fresh eye, section by section.
  2. 2
    Read the material as if you have never seen it before. Do this by pretending that you’re a person who has never had previous exposure to the topic.
  3. 3
    Question the information presented to make sure it reads logically. When an expert writes training materials, it’s easy to forget about some of the basic steps. The lapse in information offered might become a detriment to the person reading the training materials.

Test Your Materials

  1. 1
    Take up your instruction materials and read through them carefully, following the instructions as if you were a novice. Check for clear, concise language and easy-to-follow instructions. Sometimes it helps to read the instructions out loud.
  2. 2
    Make notes on the areas that need improvement or further clarification. Think of examples that might further illustrate your points and make your training materials more palatable to a reader.
  3. 3
    Go back and adjust your notes to ensure clarity. Remember that clear illustrations and examples help the reader to understand and retain the information.
  4. 4
    Experiment with the training materials by reading through them carefully again with your new clarifications. Repeat the first three steps as often as possible until the manual reads smoothly and you can follow all the steps in the educational material correctly.
    • You may want to have other people unfamiliar with the material test it for you before you spend the time and money to print it.

Community Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left

Article Info

Categories: Official Writing and Complaints

In other languages:

Español: escribir materiales de instrucción, Italiano: Scrivere Materiale Formativo, Русский: написать учебный материал, Português: Criar Materiais de Treinamento


Did this article help you?