Author’s Purpose

Second Grade Reading Skill

Tennessee Learning Expectation and Accomplishment for Language Arts

2.1.08.a - Identify a purpose for reading.

Author’s Purpose

An author has a reason for writing a story. The author may want to….

entertain you. inform or explain something to you.describe something to you.convince or persuade you to think or act a

certain way.

Writing to Entertain

When a story is written to entertain you, the author writes about things he/she knows you like to read about. Is the story funny? Is the story sad? Is the story serious?

Most boys like reading about hunting, fishing, sports, fast cars, motorcycles, space, animals, etc.

Girls like reading about horses, cheerleading, sleepovers, friendships, shopping, etc.

So the author uses these ideas to write books and stories that will get you to read them over and over.

Writing to Inform or Explain

When an author informs you, he/she tells you about something you may or may not know about.

Stories could be about museums, special people, a hobby, or other ideas not many people take interest in but the author thinks you should know about!

Writing to Describe

An author may write a story to describe. He/she uses lots of descriptive words so you can get a picture in your head.

Writing to Convince or Persuade

Have you ever watched an infomercial on tv? The authors are trying to convince or persuade you to purchase something, to do something, to read something, or to go see something. They make the product look very interesting and attractive. This is persuasion!!!!

Why Did the Author Write…?

The Three Little Pigs

Why Did the Author Write…?

Recycling at Home

Why Did the Author Write…?

The Gingerbread Man

Why Did the Author Write…?

The First Astronauts