If you are like me, author’s purpose is probably one of your favorite reading skills to teach. I mean there is nothing better than opening up your basal and realizing the skill for this week’s story is author’s purpose. It’s a pretty straightforward skill and kids just get it.
However, as teacher’s we really need to be pushing our students a step further than just identifying why an author wrote a particular piece of text. Instead, we need to really dig deep and encourage our students to use their critical thinking skills to determine how an author achieves their purpose. By helping students understand why and how authors craft their work, we are helping not only their comprehension of a piece of writing, but also giving them examples of ways to improve their writing craft.
Why Teach Author’s Purpose?
Understanding the author’s purpose allows us to delve deeper into the writer’s intentions and uncover hidden layers of meaning. It’s like opening a treasure chest filled with literary gems!
Enhancing Reading Comprehension
Knowing the purpose behind a text helps students better comprehend and analyze what they are reading. Is the author trying to entertain, persuade, or inform? By deciphering the author’s intention, readers can actively engage with the text and extract the most valuable information.
Developing Critical Thinking Skills
Teaching author’s purpose encourages students to think beyond the surface level. It prompts them to question the motives behind the writing and consider alternative perspectives. This process fosters critical thinking skills, enabling young readers to evaluate information, make connections, and form their own opinions.
Empowering Students as Readers and Writers
Understanding the purpose behind an author’s work empowers students to become confident readers and writers. When they can identify the author’s purpose, they can emulate it in their own writing, creating purposeful pieces that leave a lasting impact on their audience.
Teaching author’s purpose to students is a powerful tool for developing reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing skills. By unraveling the minds of authors, we enable young learners to connect with literature on a deeper level and become active participants in the reading process.
If you are looking for a way to introduce, review, or reteach the 3 main reasons author’s write a piece of text, check out my author’s purpose anchor charts and interactive notebook pages.
