Authors have a specific reason for writing a text. Identifying the author’s purpose helps you understand the information the author wants to share. 

Review the chart at right and remember, there are three purposes authors have when writing: to persuade, to inform, and to entertain.

• Persuade: The author tries to persuade readers to agree or to do something.
• Inform: The author gives facts and information about a topic.
• Entertain: The author writes for readers to enjoy.

You should look for clues about the genre and ask and answer questions about what you have read to help figure out the author’s purpose.

Remember when we read Spoon? We asked questions that helped identify the reasons the author wrote it.

• What did Spoon understand by the end of the story?
• What lesson does the author want me to understand?

The author wanted readers to enjoy reading Spoon, so the purpose for writing the story is to entertain.

Today, you will reread parts of Being a Good Citizen to practice identifying the author’s purpose. Remember that asking and answering questions about the details, photos, and text features will help them to figure out the author’s purpose.

To find the author's purpose in Being a Good Citizen, you may discuss the questions below with someone.

Parent/Guardian: Check the student's responses with the answer key

, Reading: Author’s Purpose (1.2.5).

1. Page 69: What clues about the genre of this text help you know what type of text you are reading?
2. Pages 74-76: What questions were you able to answer about why the author wrote this text? Using all the clues, what do you think is the author’s purpose for writing the text?
3. Using all the clues, what do you think is the author’s purpose for writing the text?