Reader Knowledge and Feelings

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, and analytical writing by examining what an author wants the reader to know or feel. Learners read short passages that include historical, descriptive, and scientific content, then write evidence-based responses explaining how language, details, and tone shape the reader’s understanding or emotional response.

Learning Goals

• Determining Author’s Message (Grades 5-6)
  Students identify the key idea, message, or emotional takeaway an author intends to communicate.
• Evaluating Reader Impact
  Learners analyze how word choice, description, and information influence what the reader thinks or feels.
• Analyzing Informational & Descriptive Text
  Students interpret how purpose differs across factual, explanatory, and descriptive passages.
• Evidence-Based Interpretation
  The activity reinforces citing specific text details to support conclusions.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary ELA comprehension and writing standards.
• Written Response Focus
  Encourages thoughtful explanation rather than simple identification or guessing.
• Varied Passage Types
  Includes multiple text styles to broaden analysis and transfer skills.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for guided reading, literacy centers, assessment, homework, or discussion preparation.

This printable worksheet helps students become more intentional readers by focusing on how authors shape both understanding and emotion. By explaining what a reader is meant to know or feel and supporting ideas with evidence, learners strengthen critical reading, interpretation, and written expression skills. It’s a meaningful, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Author’s Purpose Worksheets collection.