CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.6

ELA2nd GradeCraft and Structure

The Standard

Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text

What This Standard Means

Students need to figure out why an author wrote an informational text. They should tell whether the author is answering a question, explaining how or why something works, or describing a topic, person, place, or event.

Mastery looks like a student saying, “The author is explaining how bees make honey,” and pointing to parts of the text that prove it. Students often get stuck by naming the topic only, like “bees,” instead of the author’s purpose. They may also mix up facts they learned with why the author included them.

Ways to Teach It

Hands-on: Give pairs three short nonfiction passages and purpose cards labeled answer, explain, and describe to sort and justify with text evidence.
Prompt: Ask, “What did the author want us to understand after reading, and which sentence helped you know?”
Quick assessment: Read a one-paragraph article aloud, then have students circle answer, explain, or describe and write one proof sentence.
Real-world connection: Show a zoo sign, recipe, and weather report, then ask students what each author wanted readers to learn.