The Harbor Post — Author's Purpose: Inform, Entertain & Instruct (Grade 2)

About this activity

At The Harbor Post, Marlow the pelican hands the child short notes to sort by why their author wrote them: a note about owls hunting at night is there to inform, one about Pip the puppy chasing his tail is there to entertain, and one that begins 'To make a paper boat, first fold the paper in half' is there to instruct. It's a free Grade 2 reading activity that plays in the browser with no sign-up.

The three bins — 'To tell facts,' 'To tell a fun story,' and 'To show how to do it' — make the author's job visible. The child reads each note and decides its purpose from how it is written: real-world facts, a silly little tale, or step-by-step directions with words like first, next, and then. They are judging the writer's intent, not just the topic, which is what makes author's purpose a thinking skill rather than a guess.

It is aligned to Common Core RI.2.6 — identifying the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe. No timer, no score — just calm, playful practice.

What's inside this activity

• Designed for Grade 2 learners (ages about 7–8)
• Common Core strand: Reading: Informational Text
• Aligned to Common Core standard RI.2.6

How to play

Read the short harbor note Marlow hands you.

Send it to the right bin — to tell facts, to tell a fun story, or to show how to do it.

Not quite? Try again as many times as you like — there is no timer and no score.

What your child practices

• Deciding whether a note is meant to inform, entertain, or instruct
• Spotting real facts versus a made-up, playful story
• Recognizing how-to directions by their step words like first, next, and then
• Judging why a writer wrote something, not just what it is about

Learning goals

Identify whether a text is written to inform, entertain, or instruct — the focus of Common Core RI.2.6.

Use clues in the writing, such as facts or step-by-step directions, to find the author's purpose.

Build the reader's awareness of why authors write, which supports comprehension across texts.