Language and Literacy Education Commons^™

Using Authentic Literature To Enrich Young Children’S Literacy Experiences, Kristi L. Dudley, Ramona T. Pittman, Rebekah E. Piper

Reading Faculty Publications

This article focuses on the five components (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) needed to effectively teach children to read. Early childhood educators can teach these five skills through the use of authentic literature. To be classified as authentic literature, books and texts need to utilize “real life” writing that is written to engage the reader. Authentic narrative texts generally appeal to the reader and offers a theme and a moral to the story. The article explains the five components needed to teach children to read and offers some authentic texts, synopses, and lesson ideas specifically for each of …