Author's Purpose & Perspective

Dear Families,

Your child is learning two important skills: identifying the author's purpose (why they wrote) and the author's perspective (how they feel about the topic). In Grade 4, students must also distinguish between facts and opinions, and explain how word choice reveals an author's viewpoint. Practice these skills with everyday reading!

Why This Matters for the FAST Test

The FAST asks questions like "What is the author's perspective on [topic]?" and "Which words show how the author feels?" Students must understand that authors have viewpoints that come through in their word choices, and they need to find evidence to support their answers.

Purpose = WHY the author wrote

Persuade - convince you
Inform - teach facts
Entertain - make you enjoy

Perspective = HOW the author feels

The author's attitude or viewpoint on the topic. Look for positive or negative word choices!

Fact vs. Opinion

FACT - Can Be Proven
"Florida has 67 counties."
"The movie is 2 hours long."

OPINION - What Someone Believes
"Florida is the best state."
"The movie was amazing."

Opinion clue words: best, worst, should, beautiful, boring, think, believe, always, never

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Activity 1: News vs. Opinions

Find perspective in everyday reading

Find a news article and an opinion piece (editorial, review, or letter to the editor) on a similar topic.
Read both together. Ask: "Which one just gives facts? Which one shows how the author feels?"
In the opinion piece, have your child highlight or point out words that show the author's feelings.
Discuss: "What is the author's perspective? Do we agree or disagree?"

Sample Discussion:
"This article about the new park uses words like 'wonderful,' 'exciting,' and 'much-needed.' Those positive words tell us the author thinks the park is a great idea. That's the author's perspective!"

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Activity 2: Review Detective

Analyze perspective in movie/book reviews

Look up reviews of a movie, book, or restaurant your family knows.
Read a positive review and a negative review of the same thing.
Compare: "Both reviewers saw the same movie, but they have different perspectives. What words show their feelings?"
Discuss how the same topic can be written about in very different ways depending on perspective.

Compare These Reviews:
Positive: "This restaurant has the most delicious pizza I've ever tasted! The service was wonderful and the atmosphere was delightful."
Negative: "This restaurant was disappointing. The pizza was bland and the wait was frustratingly long."

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Activity 3: Word Swap Challenge

See how word choice changes perspective

Write a simple sentence about something (school, a food, a place).
Challenge your child to rewrite it with a POSITIVE perspective using positive words.
Then rewrite it with a NEGATIVE perspective using negative words.
Discuss how the same information can feel very different based on word choice.

Example - Topic: Homework
Neutral: "Students have homework every night."
Positive: "Students have the wonderful opportunity to practice their learning with homework every night."
Negative: "Students are burdened with exhausting homework every night."

Find Purpose & Perspective Everywhere!

Commercials: PERSUADE - notice how they use positive words to make products sound amazing
Product reviews: Authors have clear positive or negative perspectives
News articles: Should INFORM with facts, but sometimes show perspective
Editorials/Opinion columns: PERSUADE with strong perspective and opinions
Instruction manuals: INFORM - usually neutral perspective
Social media posts: Often show strong perspectives - discuss how word choice reveals feelings

Questions to Ask About Anything Your Child Reads

"Why did the author write this - to persuade, inform, or entertain?"
"How does the author feel about this topic? What's their perspective?"
"Which words show how the author feels?"
"Is this a fact (can be proven) or an opinion (what someone believes)?"
"How would this be different if the author had the opposite perspective?"
"Does the author want you to think or do something specific?"

Resumen en Espanol

Proposito del autor: POR QUE el autor escribio (persuadir, informar, entretener)

Perspectiva del autor: COMO se siente el autor sobre el tema

Hecho vs. Opinion:

Hecho: Se puede probar (Florida tiene 67 condados)
Opinion: Lo que alguien cree (Florida es el mejor estado)

Actividades en casa: Lean articulos de noticias y resenas juntos. Busquen palabras que muestren los sentimientos del autor. Pregunten: "Como se siente el autor sobre esto?"

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