PIE Author’s Purpose

This worksheet helps students in Grades 4 and 5 strengthen reading comprehension and critical thinking by identifying an author’s purpose in short passages. Learners read a variety of texts and determine whether the author’s goal is to persuade, inform, or entertain, using clues from tone, word choice, structure, and content to guide their decisions.

Learning Goals

• Determining Author’s Purpose (Grades 4-5)
  Students classify texts as persuasive, informational, or entertaining using clear textual evidence.
• Analyzing Text Structure & Intent
  Learners examine how organization, language, and details signal an author’s goal.
• Critical Reading Skills
  Students interpret tone and purpose rather than relying on surface-level topics.
• Genre Awareness
  The activity reinforces how purpose varies across different types of writing.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary ELA standards.
• Clear, Focused Practice
  Short passages make the skill approachable while still requiring thoughtful analysis.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for reading lessons, literacy centers, assessment, homework, or review.
• Supports Foundational Literacy Skills
  Builds a strong base for understanding nonfiction, opinion writing, and narrative texts.

This printable worksheet helps students become more intentional readers by recognizing why an author writes a text. By analyzing clues that signal persuasion, information, or entertainment, learners strengthen comprehension, interpretation, and confidence in identifying author’s purpose. It’s a simple, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

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