Kids become book detectives with this finding the author and illustrator activity for kindergarten to 2nd grade, using cover cards and a recording sheet. An answer key is included.
Using this Where the Wild Things Are Worksheet, students describe the title, author, and illustrator of Where the Wild Things Are.
This author and illustrator activity for PreK to 1st Grade has kids sort job cards and play a Book Hunt game with real picture books. Answer key included, so checking is quick and easy.
This author and illustrator of a story worksheet helps kindergarten students match each helper to the words or pictures of a book. An answer key is included for quick, easy checking.
This author and illustrator worksheet helps kindergarten students circle who made each card, the author who writes words or the illustrator who draws pictures. An answer key is included for quick checking.
This 100th Day of School Party Worksheet is a great way to teach your kids about the author and illustrator of a book to celebrate the 100th day of school.
This authors purpose matching activity has K-2nd Grade readers match picture book cards to inform, entertain and persuade cards, with a recording sheet and practice page. Answer key included, so learning why authors write feels like a game.
In this authors purpose picture sorting activity, K to 2nd Grade children sort 12 picture cards into inform, entertain, and persuade, with a sort mat, practice page and answer key included.
Using Identifying the Author's Reasons in a Text Worksheet, students explain the reasons the author gives for the boy to get Petey from his aunt.
Using Author's Purpose Sorting Activity, students identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Use this Supporting the Point Worksheet to help kindergarten students find the reasons an author gives for a big idea, with five bubble questions and an answer key for easy checking.
Using Supporting Details in the Text Worksheet, students explain the reasons the author gives for the girl to get Pal from her grandma.
Using RI.K.6 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson, studentsname the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.
Use this making a point with support worksheet to help kindergarten readers find an author's point and the reasons behind it. Includes an answer key and builds early opinion-reading skills.
Using this Amelia Bedelia Author and Illustrator Worksheet, students describe the title, author, and illustrator of an Amelia Bedelia book.
Using this Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Authors Worksheet, students describe what authors do to tell their story.
Using RI.K.8 Kindergarten Common Core Lesson, students identify thereasons an author gives to support points in a text.
Who wrote it, who drew it and why?
Kindergarteners learn that real people make books! The author writes the words and the illustrator draws the pictures, and sometimes one person does both. Kids find their names on the cover and talk about each job. They also start asking why a book was written: to tell a fun story, or to teach us facts? With help, they spot the reasons an author gives to support a point in a simple nonfiction book. The click moment is when a child holds up a book and says, "This one teaches us about frogs!"
Five-year-olds love knowing who made their books. These moves turn that curiosity into reading skills.
Before every read-aloud, point to the cover and say, "The author wrote the words. The illustrator drew the pictures." Soon kids will ask "Who's the author?" before you do.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Try it withAuthor and Illustrator ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Show book covers and pictures and have kids sort them: Is this for a fun story or for learning facts? Talk about the clues, like real photos versus cartoon animals.
Why it works: children learn more from words and pictures together than from words alone (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withAuthors Purpose Picture Sorting ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Play a quick matching game where kids pair a book with the reason it was written. Saying "This book was written to teach" or "to entertain" builds the vocabulary.
Why it works: in a well-known study, a few short sessions of a simple number board game measurably boosted young children's number skills (Ramani and Siegler, 2008).
Try it withAuthors Purpose Matching ActivityActivitiesOpen it →Book detective games for little readers.
ActivitiesLook at a book and guess why the author made it: to tell a story or to teach.
Open Why Was it Written? Author's Purpose Activity →
WorksheetsFind the reasons an author gives to support their point.
Open Supporting the Point Worksheet →
ActivitiesFind the author's and illustrator's names on real book covers.
Open Finding the Author and Illustrator Activity →Teacher favorites right now: Finding the Author and Illustrator Activity, Where the Wild Things Are Worksheet and Author and Illustrator Activity.
The author writes the words of a book, and the illustrator draws or paints the pictures. Sometimes the same person does both jobs.
Keep it simple: some books tell a story for fun, and some books teach us facts. After reading, ask, "Was this book made to tell a story or to teach us something?"
It helps kids understand that books are made by real people who make choices. That's an early step toward becoming writers and illustrators themselves.
At bedtime, read the author's and illustrator's names aloud and ask what each person did. Visiting the library to find more books by a favorite author is a fun next step.
Loved by 2 million teachers & families
Printables, songs and games for every subject, Preschool through 6th. Ready to teach today, and kids beg for more.
