The purpose of the study was to contribute knowledge on how a teacher's instruction, supported by group discussions, can be planned, implemented, and evaluated to develop pupils' ability to identify messages in narrative texts. To fulfill the purpose of the study, the following research questions were answered: What are the critical aspects when educating a selected group of pupils to develop their ability to identify messages in narrative texts? What knowledge of identifying messages in narrative texts do the pupils demonstrate before and after the instruction? How can group discussions be used in instruction to develop pupils' ability to identify messages in narrative texts? The theoretical framework of the study was variation theory, and the method used was an intervention study inspired by a Learning study. A Learning study consists of cycles of implementation where instruction is planned, implemented, and evaluated. The development of instruction is analyzed with the support of pre-tests and post-tests to determine the knowledge that pupils demonstrate before and after the instruction. The critical aspects that emerged for the specific group of pupils were: The pupil should discern that the text is related to the individual. The pupil should identify the essential parts of a narrative text. The pupil should understand the concept of a message. The pupil should discern the difference between what is stated on the in the text and what is implied between the lines. The pupils showed improved results on the post-test compared to the pre-test. The use of group discussions was shown to be more beneficial for both the pupils and the teacher when there was a clear structure in the discussions.