4th - 8th Grade Author's Purpose Resources

Authors persuade, inform, and entertain through various types of writing! Students set out to identify the author’s purpose.

How is a train like a bird? Find out in this sixth-grade informational reading comprehension worksheet all about biomimicry!

Learners will practice identifying the author's purpose in eight sample paragraphs, using text evidence to support their choice.

Use this graphic organizer to give students an opportunity to practice identifying the central idea of a text using key details.

Learners will categorize 12 different types of text according to why the author would write them, using the acronym PIE as a mnemonic device.

Use this worksheet to encourage critical thinking and support students’ literacy development by asking questions before, during, and after reading.

Children will practice bringing excitement to their writing in this fun language and vocabulary worksheet.

Introduce readers to the poem “When I Was One-and-Twenty” by English poet A. E. Housman with this sixth-grade worksheet! 

Learn about what makes certain elements cooler than others in this chemistry-based informational reading passage! 

This informational text about a topic relevant to students can be used to help explain author’s claims and the reasons used to support them.

This sample nonfiction text about basketball helps students to explore author's point of view.

Learn about Eleanor Roosevelt, the groundbreaking first lady known for her humanitarian work and for being the first U.S.delegate to the United Nations in 1942.

Use this two-page graphic organizer to help students compare and contrast informational narratives from two different genres.

Students are asked to distinguish between first and third person narration as well as fiction or nonfiction writing.

Use this Novel Discussion Guide for Parents as a guide to invite your child into a book discussion about their latest reading!

Differentiating between facts and opinions is a key fourth grade skill to master and is helpful in identifying the author’s purpose in a text. Use this activity to give your students extra practice differentiating between these two kinds of sentences.

This nonfiction text about soccer will help students to practice finding evidence to support the author's point.

This worksheet gives your students practice reading and analyzing informational text to explain the author’s claim and supporting reasons.

Students will identify the author’s purpose and strengthen their reading comprehension with the questions that follow the text.

From the topic of roller coasters to the topic of spinach, this kid-friendly worksheet guides a student in comparing their opinion to the opinions of the fictional character named “Jimmy.”

This graphic organizer can help students analyze a story, scenario, disagreement or controversy from multiple perspectives.

Students will rewrite the narration and point of view of various texts.

This graphic organizer helps students work through a nonfiction text to help organize information about the author’s point, and the reasons and evidence used to support it.

Challenge your students to consider the author's intention of a piece of writing. Ask your students to read Rudyard Kipling's poem, "If-" and answer the questions about the author's intent.

Ideal for fourth and fifth graders, this worksheet includes figurative language examples and definitions on the first page, and a second full page of questions and tasks that can be used to check for understanding.

When your students read this exaggerated tale, they will find a ton of hyperboles!

Have students compare and contrast fictional and historical accounts with this seventh-grade reading comprehension worksheet!

Challenge your students to find real world examples of the author’s purpose with this text-based scavenger hunt.