KEY FINDINGS
> > This authentic “complete language” makes it easier and more engaging for children to read because real language is redundant and predictable, providing natural scaffolding for the reader. When we tinker with language for instructional purposes, attempting to “simplify” text such as by shortening each sentence, removing clausal phrases, or using only phonetically regular vocabulary, we compromise the integrity of authentic language and its natural scaffolding. > > Authentic texts are conceptually and linguistically rich (Sullivan and Brown, 2013; Kidd and Castano, 2013). They: • Strengthen students’ analytical problem-solving ability. • Spark their intellectual curiosity. • Deepen their understanding of the world .
• Feed their imaginations. • Expand their vocabularies. • Build agency and their reading identity .
• Help them become better readers, writers, spellers, grammarians, mathematicians, better human beings, and more compassionate and engaged citizens.
More to Know: The Vocabulary in Authentic Texts Authentic texts invite active reading, robust problem-solving, and deep analysis because they comprise compelling ideas and living language. Again, the living language of authentic texts is conceptually rich, and since children’s vocabulary and conceptual knowledge of the world are largely shaped by reading, we want them to have access to the richest texts possible. Children’s conception of the world is rooted in literature—they learn about the world beyond their own homes and experiences through reading. • Incidental word learning accounts for a large percentage of all new words learned. Estimates are that each year children learn on average 3,000 words, only about 300 of which are explicitly taught to them in school (Biemiller, 2001). As Hiebert writes in her book, Learning Words and How They Work , “The development of a large vocabulary comes from reading.” • “One of the most enduring findings in reading research is the extent to which student vocabulary knowledge relates to their reading comprehension” (Adams, 2011; Hiebert, 2018). The larger and more complex student’s vocabulary, the easier it is to comprehend more challenging texts.
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AUTHENTIC TEXTS AND TEXT COMPLEXITY
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