Character Goals

This worksheet helps students in Grades 4, 5, and 6 strengthen reading comprehension and narrative analysis by identifying character goals. Students read three short scenarios, determine what each character wants, and explain why the character has that goal using clues from the text. Writing complete-sentence responses reinforces both comprehension and clear explanation.

Learning Goals

• Character Motivation Analysis (Grades 4-6) – Identify a character’s main goal based on textual evidence.
• Using Text Evidence – Explain reasoning by referring to details from the scenario.
• Reading Comprehension of Short Texts – Analyze brief narratives for meaning and intent.
• Constructed Response Writing – Write clear, complete sentences that explain ideas.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to support narrative comprehension and writing standards.
• Focus on “Why,” Not Just “What” – Encourages deeper thinking about character motivation.
• Supports Story Structure Understanding – Helps students see how goals drive plot and action.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Works well for reading lessons, small groups, independent practice, or assessment.

This printable worksheet helps students understand that characters act for specific reasons. By identifying goals and explaining motivations, learners build confidence in text-based reasoning, narrative analysis, and written explanation. It is a simple, no-prep resource for classroom and homeschool settings that strengthens comprehension, critical thinking, and character understanding.

This worksheet is part of our Character Development Worksheets collection.