Elementary Classrooms 7 Reading Comprehension Lessons to Teach Students to Identify The Author’s Point of View

These easy-to-use skills based lessons will captivate students with high-interest topics while refining their grade-level reading comprehension skills.

As students get older, it’s increasingly critical that they analyze the author’s point of view as they read non-fiction texts. They must consider why the author is writing the text, what they believe about the topic, what they’re trying to convince the reader of, and what their biases may be.

For teachers, this can be a really tricky skill to teach! That’s why CommonLit created Target Lessons! These are ready-to-go lessons that teach kids an important reading skill. These reading lessons come with instructional videos, comprehension questions that build students' skills and assessment questions.

In this blog, you will learn about the lessons that CommonLit has about author's point of view.

“Lightning Is No Joke!" (3rd grade)

This Target Lesson discusses the dangers of lightning and what to do during a lightning strike. Students will warm up with a writing exercise to help them make text-to-self connections to the text. They’ll answer the question, “Why do you think lightning should be taken seriously?

Throughout the article, students are prompted with scaffolded reading questions, with the end goal of students being able to practice the skill without questions. For instance, after reading the first paragraph students will be asked the multiple choice question “Which statement best describes how the author feels about lightning?”  At the end of the reading students will answer a written question about the author’s point of  view in the passage.

"What’s the Buzz About Bees?" (5th Grade)

In this article, students will learn about the unique role that bees have in our ecosystem. As students read, they’ll analyze the author’s perspective and how she views these important creatures.

“Anger as Inspiration” (6th grade)

In this target lesson, students will read about how Sami Awad, a humanitarian and activist, channels his anger to create a commitment to peace. Students will analyze the author’s point of view about anger and maybe even change their own perspective on anger.

“Why Dolphins Make Us Nervous” (7th grade)

This 7th grade reading explores intriguing facts about dolphins and highlights their remarkable intelligence that makes them similar to humans.  Before reading, students will watch a short video about dolphins and the author's perspective. To kickstart the lesson, students will be asked the warm up question “In your own words, why do people have different points of view?” This activity serves to foster lively discussion, engage students, and set the stage for the reading.

As students read the text, they will have access to CommonLit’s digital tools including highlighting and annotating the text, translating the text, and the option to have the text read aloud to them.  These tools enhance the reading experience and cater to diverse learning needs. For instance, teachers can guide students who need additional assistance to highlight details that aid in answering questions related to the author’s point of view.

By the end of the reading, students should feel prepared to answer the question: what is the author's point of view in the passage?

“Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn't)” (7th Grade)

In this Target Lesson, students read about the purpose and influence of advertising. To ignite their enthusiasm, students begin with a writing warm-up which asks when the last time an advertisement made them want to buy something. This prompts an engaging classroom discussion where students articulate their perspectives.

Students will practice their skills in identifying the author’s point of view through a series of scaffolded reading questions. These questions gradually guide them towards a comprehensive understanding of the author’s perspective. By the final assessment question, students can demonstrate their skills in identifying the author’s point of view by answering the question: “What is the author’s overall purpose for writing this article?”

“Against Skiing” (10th Grade)

In this article, students will read about the author’s justification for disliking skiing. While reading, students will analyze the author’s perspective.  At the end, students will answer two assessment questions to test their understanding of the author’s point of view.

"The Epic Rise and Fall of Elizabeth Holmes" (12th Grade)

This engaging lesson focuses on the controversy surrounding Elizabeth Holmes and her misleading claims as the CEO of Theranos.  Teachers can use CommonLit’s ready-to-use, customizable slides to introduce the topic. These slides, available in both digital and printable formats, include a lesson overview, a writing warm up,  a short video accompanied by a question, and a review of what the author’s point of view is.

Students will practice identifying the author’s point of view within each section of the reading by answering multiple choice questions and written questions. This skill-building exercise will prepare students to tackle assessment questions at the end that assess their understanding of the author’s point of view throughout the entire article.

Next Steps

Looking for more Target Lessons that will teach students how to analyze an author’s point of view?

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