Author's Purpose | Parent Activity Guide

What is Author's Purpose?

Author's purpose is the reason an author writes a text. Understanding why something was written helps readers think critically about what they read. Sixth graders learn to identify four main purposes: Persuade, Inform, Entertain, and Explain (P.I.E.E.). They also learn to analyze the specific techniques authors use to achieve their goals.

On Florida's FAST assessment, students must identify author's purpose and explain how specific techniques support that purpose.

The Four Main Purposes (P.I.E.E.)

Persuade: To convince you to believe something or take action (ads, editorials, speeches)

Inform: To give you facts and information (news articles, textbooks, reports)

Entertain: To amuse, engage, or create an emotional response (stories, novels, jokes)

Explain: To help you understand how or why something works (how-to guides, tutorials)

Activities to Try at Home

📺 Commercial Detective

Advertisements are great for practicing author's purpose because their goal (persuade) is clear:

Watch commercials together and identify the persuasive techniques
Ask: "What emotions is this ad trying to create?" (happy, worried, excited)
Look for appeals: Does it use a celebrity (credibility)? Statistics (logic)? Emotional images?
Discuss: "Would this ad convince YOU? Why or why not?"

📰 News vs. Opinion

Help your child distinguish between informational and persuasive writing:

Compare a news article (inform) to an editorial on the same topic (persuade)
Look for "loaded" emotional words vs. neutral factual language
Ask: "Is the author sharing facts or trying to change my opinion?"
Discuss how the same topic can be written with different purposes

📱 Social Media Analysis

Social media posts are everyday examples of author's purpose:

Look at posts together and identify their purpose
Influencer posts: Often persuade (buy this product!)
News accounts: Typically inform
Entertainment accounts: Designed to entertain (memes, jokes, stories)
Discuss: "Why did this person post this? What do they want you to do or feel?"

📖 Book and Movie Discussions

After reading a book or watching a movie together:

"What was the main purpose - to entertain, inform, persuade, or explain?"
"Did it have a secondary purpose too?" (A documentary might inform AND persuade)
"What techniques did the author/director use to engage you?"
"Was it effective? Did it accomplish what it set out to do?"

Quick Reference: Identifying Author's Purpose

Purpose	Look For...	Everyday Examples
Persuade	Opinions, emotional language, calls to action, "you should"	Ads, reviews, political speeches, editorials
Inform	Facts, statistics, neutral tone, no opinions	News articles, encyclopedias, textbooks
Entertain	Stories, humor, suspense, vivid descriptions, dialogue	Novels, movies, jokes, video games
Explain	Steps, processes, "how to," examples, definitions	Recipes, tutorials, instructions, manuals

Parent Tip: Critical Thinking in the Digital Age

Understanding author's purpose is a crucial media literacy skill. In today's world of social media, targeted ads, and online content, helping your child ask "Why was this created?" and "What does the creator want from me?" builds critical thinking that will serve them throughout life. Practice questioning the purpose of everything you encounter together - from TikTok videos to news headlines to product packaging.

Rhetorical Appeals: How Authors Persuade

ETHOS

Credibility & Trust

"As a doctor with 20 years of experience..."

PATHOS

Emotion & Feelings

"Imagine how you'd feel if your family..."

LOGOS

Logic & Facts

"Studies show that 80% of..."

Informacion para Padres (Spanish Summary)

Que es el proposito del autor? El proposito del autor es la razon por la que un autor escribe un texto. Hay cuatro propositos principales:

Persuadir: Convencerte de creer o hacer algo (anuncios, discursos)
Informar: Darte hechos e informacion (noticias, libros de texto)
Entretener: Divertirte o crear emociones (cuentos, peliculas)
Explicar: Ayudarte a entender como funciona algo (tutoriales, recetas)

Actividades en casa:

Analicen comerciales juntos - identifiquen las tecnicas persuasivas
Comparen articulos de noticias con editoriales sobre el mismo tema
Discutan publicaciones en redes sociales: "Por que se creo esto?"
Pregunten: "Que quiere el autor que yo piense, sienta o haga?"

Consejo: Entender el proposito del autor es una habilidad importante para pensar criticamente sobre todo lo que leemos y vemos en los medios.

Author's Purpose - Parent Activity Guide