I have a great aunt who can talk to anyone…I mean anyone.  She once called the telephone operator to ask for the exact time and ended up talking to her for more than thirty minutes!  I don’t know if this story is actually true or just family lore, but the point is humans have an intrinsic desire to communicate with others.

I’ve written about my philosophy regarding authenticity on other blog posts (see The ‘Barnes and Noble’ Effect).  I am all about providing students with opportunities that mirror the behaviors of real readers and writers.  One such behavior is the need to verbally process information with others.

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Have you ever noticed how preschoolers ‘read’? They pick up familiar books, admire the pictures, and tell the story with words that they remember from the last time an adult read the book to them. They use the language and the pictures from the text to create their own rendering. They don’t get bogged down with trying to decode the words. Instead, they focus on meaning.

But wait a minute, isn’t that what we want all kids to do? To focus on the meaning?

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When it comes to literacy teaching and learning, I am all about authenticity. If it’s not a behavior that a real reader or writer would engage in, then why include it in your day?

At the top of the authenticity list is a reader or writer’s ability to choose. When offering students opportunities to choose, consider situations that facilitate the way you make choices as a reader or writer.

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