The article discusses working with text as a factor in the formation of students' functional literacy. The results of PISA of Kazakhstani students are analyzed and the importance of increasing the role of text work in the formation of functional literacy is emphasized. In general, the definitions of the concepts "Literacy", "Functional literacy" are analyzed. It is argued that in the formation of functional literacy through working with text, priority should be given to the following several main types of literacy. This is, first of all, communicative literacy, which predicts the fluency of all types of speech activity; the ability to adequately understand the spoken and written speech of the interlocutor; oral and independent expression of ideas, secondly, information literacy - the ability to search for information in textbooks and reference books, obtain information from the Internet and CDs with educational content, as well as from various other sources, process and organize information and present it in different ways; practical literacy is a manifestation of organizational skills and abilities, in particular, goal setting and verbal formulation of action, planning and, if necessary, changing it, verbal confirmation of these changes, self-control, self-esteem and self-esteem. These activities include writing essays based on word processing, case studies, practice and project assignments.

And also an experiment was carried out, as a result of which it was found that working with the text has a positive effect on the formation of the functional competence of students.