Standard 3: Critical Reading and Writing

Students will apply critical thinking skills to reading and writing.

4.3.R.1 Students will determine the author’s purpose (i.e., entertain, inform, persuade) and infer the difference between the stated and implied purpose.

Student Actions 

Teacher Actions 

• Students will identify and describe the different types of authors’ purposes for a text/passage (i.e., persuade, inform, entertain).

• Students will determine the author’s stated purpose of a text/passage using close reading to help identify the purpose.

• Students will determine the author’s implied purpose of a text/passage using clues in the text to help identify the purpose.

• Students will make inferences to determine when the author’s purpose is stated and when it is implied.

• Students can create a list of reasons why authors write.

• Teachers model how to identify and describe different types of authors’ purposes for a text/passage (i.e., persuade, inform, entertain).

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to identify features of different types of authors’ purposes for a text/passage.

• Teachers explain that when the author’s purpose is stated, the author is directly telling the reader the reason why he/she is writing something.

• Teachers model closely reading a text/passage to identify the author’s stated purpose.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to determine the author’s stated purpose of a text/passage.

• Teachers explain that when the author’s purpose is implied, the purpose is not directly stated and the reader must use clues to determine why the author is writing something.

• Teachers share common clues that students should look for to determine the author’s implied purpose (e.g. “should” or “must” often indicate persuasion, reports and facts often indicate informative writing, emotion words and elaborate descriptions often indicate entertainment).

• Teachers model identifying clues in a text/passage that help determine the author’s implied purpose.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to determine the author’s implied purpose of a text/passage.

• Teachers check for student understanding and provide feedback as students determine the author's implied purpose.

• Teachers explain that inference is using clues from the text and the students’ own knowledge to draw a conclusion about something.

• Teachers model how to makes inferences  to determine when the author’s purpose is stated and when it is implied.

• Teachers provide opportunities for students to make inferences to determine when the author’s purpose is stated and when it is implied.

• Teachers provide feedback to students regarding their inferences.

Supporting Resource

Teacher Insights

• The author’s purpose is the author’s specific reason for writing and conveys what the reader has to gain (or learn) from reading the selection.

• Stated: A nonfiction book about frogs might directly state its purpose is to educate its audience about the topic. The informative purpose might be stated at the beginning or end of the book.

• Implied: A chapter book about a child moving to a new school may not ever state its purpose, but it could be implied through the character’s story and the book’s themes. This kind of book might have a purpose to entertain a reader with a life lesson about change.

• Identifying text structure is important in determining author’s purpose.

• Informative text structure

• Narrative text structure

• Author’s Purpose Clue Words

• Persuade: urge, persuade, opinion, should, must, influence, coax, convince, think, believe, belief

• Inform/Explain: instruct, educate, inform, explain, learn, teach, acquaint, familiarize, facts, directions, numbered or bulleted information/steps

• Entertain: story, poem, fiction, comedy, tale, fun, narrative, humor

• A common misconception for students is that they identify the purpose in one word (inform, entertain, persuade). However, when asked to extend their thinking (inform the reader about what?) they will often give a detail instead of the main point. They do not possess a deeper knowledge of “how” the author was able to entertain, inform, or persuade.

•  Some students may have difficulty determining an author’s purpose for a fiction book that is not funny. Explain to them that “to entertain” does not necessarily mean to be funny. A sad book can be entertaining as well.Although a story may contain a lesson (or theme) it is still intended to be entertaining. 

Due to recursive nature of the standards, it is essential that teachers are aware of how all objectives within and between strands work together for optimal instruction.