Teaching Perspective, Author’s Intent, & Critical Reading in Nonfiction Text Sets

Maggie Beattie Roberts, Staff Developer & Literacy Consultant

The Reading and Writing Project, Teachers College

@MaggieBRoberts

www.kateandmaggie.com

→ Link to blog series on Nonfiction Reading & Point of View, Author’s Intent, and Critical Reading (www.kateandmaggie.com)

Strategies for Teaching Determining the Point of View of Nonfiction

Here are some starter strategies to use when exploring point of view of nonfiction:

Readers notice the words the author uses to help determine how the author might feel about the topic and then use that feeling to determine a possible point of view.
Readers determine the author’s point of view by imagining which side the author would take in a debate on the topic.
Readers read more than one text on the same topic in order to be able to recognize different viewpoints about the topic.
Readers determine what information is missing from a text. Then readers can wonder why the information may have been left out. That reason for omission can help determine the author’s point of view.
Readers pay attention to numbers, facts or statistics that are used in a text. By analyzing what the numbers, facts or statistics are showing, a reader can help determine the author’s point of view.

Language Prompts for Determining the Point of View of Nonfiction

Here are some language prompts to use when exploring point of view of nonfiction:

When the author says ___ it makes me think he/she may believe…
The author seems to be making the point that … The sentence or words giving evidence of that point is ___
The author doesn’t say anything about ___, so I wonder if he/she thinks…
If the author was debating this topic, his or her side might be ___. I think this because…
The visual images in the article (photographs, illustrations, diagrams) are included to maybe make the reader think or feel ___. Therefore, the point of view might be…
When the author uses words like ___, ___, and ___, this tells me he/she might feel ___ about the subject.
If the central idea of the text is ____, then the author’s point of view might be ___ because….

Strategies for Author’s Intent

Here are some starter strategies to use when exploring author’s intent:

● Readers read to find out what the author is making us feel, and how. We pay attention to how we feel after reading a text. Then, we step back and ask ourselves, “How did the author get me to feel this way?”

● Readers investigate an author’s intent by paying close attention to words and phrases the author uses. We then use this information to step back and think, “Why is the author using those words and phrases? What is her or his plan?”

● Readers examine an author’s intent by looking at the information he or she includes, and thinking about the information he or she has left out. What is included or excluded can lead readers to figuring out what the author is trying to do with his or her writing.

● Readers can examine an author’s intent by analyzing the inclusion of text-features, such as illustrations, photographs, charts, and graphs, to determine how these features make readers feel or what charts/graphs are designed to show.

● Readers pay attention to who an author cites as an “expert” or “source of knowledge” on the topic.

● Readers notice when words or certain phrases are repeated throughout a text. They try to put those words and/or phrases into a larger category to see what an author’s intention might be centered around.

Language Prompts for Author’s Intent

Here are some language prompts to use when exploring author’s intent:

● This is making me feel…because…

● The author uses the word(s) _____ because…This makes me think he or she is trying to…

● The author doesn’t include… This makes me wonder if…

● Because the author is part of _______________________ organization, his/her intent must be to ________________________.

● I noticed that the author repeatedly uses_____________ (phrases, theme, setting, etc.) and that makes me realize that the author is trying to show/teach me about ________...

● The author wants me to know (or do) ...

● I think these images fit/don't fit with the text because ...

● I think the author is trying to persuade me to think/do ... because they he or she says/does ... in the text.

Strategies for Critical Reading

Here are some starter strategies to use when exploring critical reading:

● Readers think carefully about the intended audience of the piece of writing. We can ask, “Who is this text written for? Who will most likely read this text? Who is the audience?” Then, we think of talk about how the audience may have influenced the writing.

● Readers think or talk about how a text makes them feel. Does it make you feel like an insider – like you know what this is like or an outsider – like you don’t know what this is like?

● Readers keep track of the voices heard in the text and the voices not heard in the text. Listen for the sides you hear – this can help you understand which side has more power in a text.

● Readers read closely to notice information authors assume they already know about a topic. They will stop and consider whether there is missing information they may need in order to understand the message the author is intending to convey.

● Readers notice how a text is trying to ‘position them’-- that is, ‘what is this text trying to get me to think? And do I agree with that?’

● Readers read across a single text (or across multiple texts) with a critical eye, looking for both disagreement and consensus on a topic.

Language Prompts for Critical Reading

Here are some language prompts to use when exploring critical reading:

● This text is most likely written for... I can tell because...

● I hear _____ the most in this text because…

● I hear _______ the least in this text because.........

● In listening to the voices, I hear language …......... that supports the position that....... has power.

● In listening to the voices, I hear language......... that supports the position that..........has little control/power.

● The topic of the text is saying ........but as I am reading, I'm hearing........

● I am mostly reading this text as an insider and it helps me understand........This helps me understand the text with deeper complexity because......

● I am mostly reading this text as an outsider and it helps me understand......This helps me understand the text with deeper complexity because........

● The reason I feel like an insider/outsider when reading this text is because of...