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3rd Grade Reading (Common Core) • Reading Informational Text

Whose View Is It? Author vs. Reader

Learning to tell the difference between what the author thinks and what you think when reading stories.

Explore the lesson 11 min read
An open book with reading glasses and a speech symbol for elementary reading
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 4 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do We Need to Know Who's Thinking What?

Long ago, people told stories out loud around campfires. Everyone could see the storyteller's face and hear their voice. It was easy to tell what the storyteller thought about the story! But when people started writing stories down in books, something changed. Now readers had to figure out what the author was thinking just from the words on the page.

Ancient Times • Storytelling Around Fires

People told stories out loud. You could see if the storyteller was happy, sad, or excited about the story.

1400s • First Printed Books

Stories were written in books. Readers had to guess what authors were thinking from their words alone.

1800s • Children's Books Grow

More books were written just for kids. Authors had to be really clear about their ideas.

Today • Reading Skills in School

Teachers help students learn to tell the difference between an author's view and their own thoughts.

Today, we read lots of different stories and books. Sometimes we agree with what the author thinks. Sometimes we don't! Learning to tell the difference between what the author believes and what we think ourselves helps us become better readers and thinkers.

SECTION 2

The Big Ideas About Author and Reader Views

When you read a story, there are really two sets of thoughts happening. The author has ideas and feelings about the story they wrote. You have your own ideas and feelings as you read it. These might be the same, or they might be totally different!

1

The Author's View

This is what the person who wrote the story thinks and feels. Authors put clues in their writing to show us their ideas.
2

The Reader's View

This is what YOU think and feel when you read. Your own experiences help you understand the story in your own way.
3

Finding the Clues

Authors give us hints about their thoughts through the words they choose, how characters act, and what happens in the story.
4

It's Okay to Disagree

You don't have to think exactly the same thing as the author. Good readers can have their own ideas about stories.
✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Reading a story is like looking at the same playground from different spots. The author sees it from one place and writes about what they see. When you read their words, you're looking at that same playground, but you might notice different things because you're standing in a different spot. Both views are real and important!

SECTION 3

Seeing the Difference Between Views

AUTHOR'S VIEW• Wrote the story• Has specific ideas• Puts clues in the words• Wants to share a message• Uses character actionsREADER'S VIEW• Reads the story• Forms own opinions• Uses past experiences• Might agree or disagree• Creates mental picturesTHE STORYCharactersEventsSettingMessage
This diagram shows how both the author and reader look at the same story, but they might see different things. The author created the characters, events, setting, and message. The reader experiences all of these things through their own thoughts and feelings.

Think about your favorite story. The person who wrote it had reasons for making the characters act certain ways and for choosing what happens. But when you read it, you might feel differently about those same characters and events. That's totally normal! The author's view and your reader's view both matter for understanding stories.

SECTION 4

How Authors Show Their Ideas

Authors can't talk to you directly when you're reading their book. So they have to use special tricks to show you what they think. These tricks are like secret codes in the story that help you understand the author's ideas.

The Author's Secret Code

  • Word Choice: If an author writes "the beautiful, sparkling lake," they want you to think the lake is wonderful.
  • Character Actions: If the main character always helps others, the author probably thinks helping is important.
  • Story Ending: How the story ends often shows what the author believes is right or wrong.
  • What Gets Rewarded: Good things happening to certain characters shows what the author values.

But remember, you don't have to agree with everything the author thinks! You might read about a character and think they made a bad choice, even if the author wants you to like them. Your own experiences help you form your own opinions about what you read.

SECTION 5

Real Examples of Different Views

Let's look at some examples to see how author and reader views can be the same or different. These examples will help you practice spotting the difference in your own reading.

STORY EXAMPLE: "The Brave Little Mouse"A tiny mouse saves a big cat from a trap by chewing through the rope.AUTHOR'S VIEWThe author wants to show that:• Size doesn't matter for being brave• Small creatures can do big things• Helping others is important• The mouse is the hero of the story• Everyone has special abilitiesREADER'S VIEWA reader might think:• "I would be too scared to help"• "The cat should have been more careful"• "This reminds me of my pet hamster"• "I like the mouse because I'm small too"• "This story makes me feel brave"BOTH VIEWS ARE OKAY!The author has a message they want to share.You can understand their message AND have your own thoughts.Good readers do both!
This example shows how an author might have specific ideas about their story, while readers bring their own experiences and feelings to the same story. Both the author's message and the reader's personal response are valuable parts of reading.

Can you see how the author and reader might think differently about the same story? The author wrote it to teach that small things can be brave and important. But readers might connect it to their own lives in different ways. Maybe you'd think about your own pets, or times when you felt scared, or when you helped someone. All of these thoughts are good and help you understand the story better!

SECTION 6

Step-by-Step: Finding Author and Reader Views

Let's practice with a short story to see how we can spot the author's view and think about our own view as readers.

ℹ

The Story

"Maya's Garden" - Maya planted seeds in her backyard, but nothing grew for weeks. Her friends laughed and said she was wasting her time. Maya felt sad but kept watering the seeds every day. One morning, she saw tiny green shoots poking through the soil. By summer, her garden was full of beautiful flowers that made the whole neighborhood smell wonderful. Her friends apologized and asked Maya to teach them how to garden.

Finding Both Views

  1. 1

    Step 1 — Look for the Author's Clues

    What hints did the author give about their ideas? The author showed Maya keeping going even when friends laughed. The author made good things happen when Maya didn't give up. The friends said sorry at the end.
    The author thinks: Don't give up, even when others doubt you.
  2. 2

    Step 2 — Think About Word Choices

    The author used words like "beautiful flowers" and "wonderful smell" to describe Maya's success. They used "laughed" and "sad" to show how Maya felt when people doubted her.
    The author wants us to feel happy about Maya's success and sad about the teasing.
  3. 3

    Step 3 — Notice What Gets Rewarded

    Maya's hard work and patience led to a beautiful garden. The friends who laughed ended up asking for help. Good things happened to the person who didn't give up.
    The author believes patience and hard work are good things.
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Think About Your Own View

    What do YOU think about this story? Maybe you've tried something that took a long time to work. Maybe you've been teased for something you cared about. How does Maya's story make you feel?
    Your view might agree with the author's, or you might have different thoughts based on your own life.

SECTION 7

When Views Agree and When They Don't

Sometimes you'll read a story and think, "Yes! I totally agree with what this author is saying!" Other times you might think, "Hmm, I don't think that character should have done that." Both situations are perfectly normal and help you become a better reader.

When Views AgreeWhen Views DisagreeWhat This Means
You love the same character the author wants you to loveYou don't like a character the author made to be likableYou're thinking for yourself and using your own experiences
The story's message matches what you believeYou think the story's lesson isn't quite rightYou're learning to question ideas and think critically
The ending feels just right to youYou wish the story had ended differentlyYou're imagining other possibilities and being creative

How reader agreement or disagreement with authors helps develop reading skills

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of reading like trying different flavors of ice cream. The ice cream maker (author) created a flavor they think is delicious. When you taste it (read the story), you might love it just as much as they do, or you might prefer a different flavor. Your taste buds (your thoughts and experiences) help you decide what you like. Both the ice cream maker's recipe and your taste matter!

SECTION 8

Building Stronger Reading Skills

As you get better at spotting the difference between author and reader views, you'll develop other important reading skills too. These skills will help you understand more complex stories and become an even stronger reader.

What You're Learning NowSkills You'll Learn Later
Noticing when the author wants you to like or dislike a characterUnderstanding how authors create complex characters with both good and bad qualities
Seeing the main message or lesson in a storyFinding hidden themes and symbols that authors use in deeper stories
Knowing it's okay to have different thoughts than the authorAnalyzing why authors make certain choices and how they affect readers
Using your own experiences to understand storiesComparing how different authors write about similar topics or themes

How current skills in recognizing author vs. reader views build toward advanced reading abilities

The skills you're practicing now are like building blocks. Each time you read a story and think about what the author intended versus what you think, you're getting stronger at critical thinking and reading comprehension. These skills will help you in all your future reading, from school assignments to your favorite books!

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

Sarah reads a story where the main character always shares her lunch with kids who forgot theirs. At the end, the character gets invited to a fun birthday party. What do you think the author's view is about sharing?
Show answer
The author's view is that sharing is good and important. The author showed this by making the character who shares get rewarded with something nice (the birthday party invitation). When authors make good things happen to characters who do certain actions, it usually means the author thinks those actions are positive and worthwhile.

Question 2: BASIC IDENTIFICATION

In a story, the author describes a thunderstorm as "exciting and powerful" instead of "scary and dangerous." What clue does this give you about how the author feels about storms? How might a reader feel differently?
Show answer
The author's word choices show they think thunderstorms are positive and impressive rather than frightening. By using "exciting and powerful," the author wants readers to see storms as amazing natural events. However, a reader who is afraid of storms might still feel scared when reading about them, even with the author's positive words. The reader's own experiences with storms would influence their feelings.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

Miguel reads a story where a boy lies to his teacher but doesn't get caught or punished. Miguel thinks the boy should have told the truth anyway. Is Miguel's view the same as the author's view? Explain your thinking.
Show answer
Miguel's view is probably different from the author's view. Since the character didn't get punished for lying, the author might be suggesting that sometimes lying doesn't have consequences, or maybe the author is showing that life isn't always fair. But Miguel believes telling the truth is important regardless of whether you get caught. This shows Miguel is thinking independently and using his own values to judge the character's actions, which is exactly what good readers should do.

Question 4: APPLIED

Emma is reading a book where the main character moves to a new town and feels lonely at first, but then makes friends by joining the school band. Emma plays piano and has moved before. How might Emma's own experiences affect her view of this story compared to the author's intended message?
Show answer
The author's message is likely that joining activities is a good way to make friends when you move somewhere new. Emma might connect very strongly with this story because she has personal experience with both moving and playing music. She might feel the character's loneliness more deeply because she's been there, and she might be extra excited about the band solution because she loves piano. Emma's experiences make the story more personal and meaningful to her than to readers who haven't moved or don't play instruments.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

You're reading a story where a character wins a contest by practicing every day for months. The author clearly wants to show that hard work pays off. But you know someone who practiced really hard for something and still didn't win. How can both the author's view and your real-life experience be true and important?
Show answer
Both views are true because they show different parts of how life works. The author's message that hard work often leads to success is generally true and important for encouraging people to keep trying. Your real-life experience shows that hard work doesn't always guarantee winning, which is also true and important to understand. Good stories can teach valuable lessons even when they don't show every possible outcome. The author's story encourages effort and persistence, while your experience teaches that we should work hard for the joy of improving, not just for winning. Both lessons help us understand the world better.

SUMMARY

Understanding Author vs. Reader Views

Summary

When you read any story, there are two important views happening at the same time. The author's view includes all the ideas and messages the person who wrote the story wants to share. Authors show their views through their word choices, how characters act, and what happens at the end of the story. The reader's view is what YOU think and feel when you read. Your own experiences, feelings, and ideas help you understand the story in your own special way.

Good readers pay attention to both views. You can understand what the author is trying to say AND have your own thoughts about the story. Sometimes you'll agree with the author, and sometimes you won't — both are perfectly okay! Learning to notice the difference between what the author thinks and what you think helps you become a stronger reader and thinker. Remember, every time you read, you're having a conversation between the author's ideas and your own — and that's what makes reading so exciting and personal!

Varsity Tutors • 3rd Grade Reading • Whose View Is It? Author vs. Reader