USE A GRAPHIC ORGANIZERHave students predict the author's purpose before reading by previewing the title, illustrations, and graphics. During and after reading, students should check and confirm their predictions.
Have them record ideas and evidence in a three-column chart.
DISCUSS AUTHOR'S PURPOSEExplain that the author's purpose is the author's reason
or reasons for writing. Four common reasons for writing
are to persuade, to inform, to entertain, or to express
ideas or feelings.
EXPLAIN ITS USE Tell students that one reason they need to consider the
author's purpose is to adjust their reading rate. If a story
is meant to be fun, they may decide to read quickly. If the
author wants to explain how something works, they may
need to read slowly and carefully.
ASK QUESTIONS
Authors don't usually state their purposes for writing, and
they often have more than one purpose. Before, during, and
after reading a selection, ask questions to help students draw conclusions about the author's purposes: Why do you think the author wrote this story? What reasons might the author have for
writing the story this way? What is the author trying to tell you?
Why is the author telling you that?
Author’s Purpose
Evaluating the author's purpose for writing helps students decide how quickly or slowly and carefully to read. Use this routine to teach author's purpose.
Garner, Ruth. “Metacognition and Self-Monitoring Strategies.” In What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction, edited by S. J. Samuels and A. E. Farstrup. Second Edition. International Reading Association, 1992,
p. 238.
Ruth Garner,
"Metacognition and Self-Monitoring Strategies"
“Younger and less proficient readers are unlikely to differentiate between ‘study’ reading and ‘fun’ reading.”
Research on Author’s Purpose
