4.9.E.iii
The Standard
identifying the intended audience or reader
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts and Reading · The student recognizes and analyzes genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and diverse texts.
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students figure out whom an argumentative text is trying to persuade. They use details such as vocabulary, examples, tone, and requests to explain their choice.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students name a specific person or group the author wants to influence. They support their answer with clues such as word choice, examples, requests, or background information.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may name everyone who could read the text instead of the group the author wants to persuade. They may confuse the intended reader with the author, topic, or purpose.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short letter arguing for later library hours. Ask, "Who is the intended reader, and which two details helped you decide?"
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs three advocacy flyers and audience cards, then have them match each flyer to its likely reader and underline two clues.
Ask students to explain how a letter about longer recess would change if written to the principal instead of classmates.
Play Audience Detective: read short arguments aloud, and teams earn a point by naming the reader and citing a clue.
Compare a cereal advertisement for children with a grocery coupon for adults, then list clues showing whom each message targets.
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