Authors, Texts and Audiences

Overview

In this first lesson of Texts, Voices and Opinions, students explore the idea that authors make texts for a reason and for particular people. Through picture books, signs and short spoken examples, students identify whether a text is mainly designed to inform, persuade or entertain.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• understand that an author creates a text for a purpose and an audience
• identify the purpose of a familiar text
• use the words inform, persuade and entertain when discussing texts
• explain what clues helped them decide a text’s purpose

Success criteria

• I can say who made a text and who it is for.
• I can identify whether a text informs, persuades or entertains.
• I can give a reason for my choice using something I noticed in the text.

Curriculum links

• English — responding to and discussing ideas, experiences and values represented in texts
• English — identifying ideas and purposes in a range of texts
• English — listening and speaking to communicate observations, opinions and responses
• English — recognising how words, images and text features create meaning

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook: What is this text for? Teacher displays the opening image of a colourful “Keep Our Playground Clean” sign without reading it aloud and asks, “What does this text want people to do?” Students turn to a partner, share an idea and explain what they noticed in the words or picture.

2. 5–12 min · Introduce purpose and audience. Teacher explains that an author is the person who creates a text, the audience is the person or people who receive it, and the purpose is the reason it was created; introduce the three class terms on the author, audience and purpose slides. Students practise saying the terms and identify possible audiences for a story, a family shopping list and a school notice.

3. 12–20 min · Model the three purposes. Teacher uses the inform, persuade and entertain slides to model three simple examples: a weather report informs by giving facts, a “Choose fruit for your lunch” poster persuades by encouraging an action, and a funny story entertains by making the audience enjoy or imagine something. Students show one of three agreed actions—hands on head for inform, hands on shoulders for persuade, hands on knees for entertain—and justify one response.

4. 20–30 min · Shared text sort. Teacher reads or briefly presents four familiar texts from the shared text examples and sorting instructions: a factual animal text, a birthday party invitation, a school rule sign and a humorous story extract. After each example, students first think independently, then discuss with a partner and choose the purpose. Invite several pairs to explain their evidence; acknowledge that some texts may have more than one purpose, while focusing on the main purpose.

5. 30–40 min · Individual response. Teacher distributes the purpose and audience picture worksheet and completes the first example with the class. Students identify the main purpose of three pictured texts, circle or draw the likely audience, and complete a supported sentence such as, “I think this text is made to ___ because ___.” Circulate, reread text aloud where needed and scribe responses for students who require it.

6. 40–45 min · Share and exit check. Teacher displays the final review and exit question and asks students to complete the sentence orally with a partner: “An author makes a text for a purpose and an audience.” Students then draw or write one example of a text that informs, persuades or entertains and tell the teacher or a partner why.

Resources

• the Authors, Texts and Audiences slide deck
• the purpose and audience picture worksheet
• A familiar factual picture book or short information text
• A humorous picture book or short story extract
• Examples of a school sign, invitation, notice or poster
• Whiteboard and markers
• Three classroom purpose symbols or hand gestures
• Pencils, crayons and clipboards if students work away from tables

Assessment

• Listen during partner talk for students who can distinguish an author, audience and purpose.
• Use the hand-signal sort and questioning to identify whether students can classify texts and explain a clue.
• Review the worksheet and final response. Look for a correctly identified main purpose, a plausible audience and an attempted reason.

Differentiation

• Provide picture cues for inform, persuade and entertain, repeat each definition using consistent gestures, and offer sentence starters: “This text is for ___” and “It informs/persuades/entertains because ___.”
• Read every worksheet example aloud and allow students to respond by drawing, pointing, circling, orally explaining or dictating to an adult.
• Pair students strategically for discussion, and provide a small-group reteach using only two contrasting purposes, such as inform and entertain.
• Extend confident students by asking whether a text could have a secondary purpose and who else might be its audience. Support EAL/D learners with explicit modelling, visual vocabulary and opportunities to rehearse responses with a partner.