Grade 3 ELA | FAST Success Kit | FL B.E.S.T. Standards
ELA.3.R.2.3
Explain an author's purpose in an informational text.
Third graders must understand that every author writes for a reason. Students should be able to identify the author's purpose AND explain how they know using evidence from the text.
Use the PIE acronym to help students remember the three main purposes:
To convince the reader to think, feel, or do something
To teach or give facts and information
To amuse, delight, or make the reader enjoy
At the Grade 3 level, students should also recognize these additional purposes:
Reality: Nonfiction can persuade (ad for a product), explain (how something works), or even entertain (humorous true stories). Topic doesn't determine purpose—the author's GOAL does.
Reality: Many texts have multiple purposes. A book about recycling might INFORM about plastic pollution AND PERSUADE readers to recycle. Ask: "What is the MAIN purpose?"
Reality: "What is it about?" (topic) is different from "Why did the author write it?" (purpose). An author writes about dogs to INFORM, ENTERTAIN, or PERSUADE—the topic doesn't tell you the purpose.
| Question Type | Example Stem | What It Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Identify Purpose | "What is the author's MAIN purpose for writing this passage?" | Recognizing the overall goal |
| Explain Purpose | "Why did the author MOST LIKELY write this article?" | Understanding author's intent |
| Evidence for Purpose | "Which sentence BEST shows the author's purpose is to persuade?" | Finding textual evidence |
| Purpose of Section | "The author includes paragraph 2 to—" | Understanding how parts contribute |
| Compare Purposes | "How are the purposes of these two passages different?" | Distinguishing between purposes |
Use these stems for practice and assessment:
Frame purpose in terms of the author's goal: "What does the author WANT you to think, feel, know, or do after reading this?"
Give students a stack of real texts (ads, news articles, comics, instructions). Have them sort by purpose and explain their thinking.
Show three texts about the same topic (e.g., dogs) with different purposes: one that informs about dog breeds, one that persuades readers to adopt dogs, one that entertains with a funny dog story.
After identifying purpose, have students highlight or underline specific words/sentences that PROVE that purpose. This builds the skill of using text evidence.
| Resource | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Student Concept Worksheet | Introduces PIE framework with examples and sorting practice | Day 1 introduction |
| Practice Worksheet | 12 questions across multiple short passages | Days 2-4 practice |
| FAST Practice Quiz | 10-question assessment mirroring actual FAST format | Day 5 assessment |
| Parent Activity Guide | Home activities for identifying purpose in everyday texts | Ongoing home support |
| Answer Keys | Complete answers with explanations for all worksheets | Teacher/parent reference |