Choosing the right texts…

…to build reading comprehension.

Hello all. Welcome to the 153rd edition of TEPS Weekly!

Below are two short excerpts describing the same incident. As you read them, don’t think about which one is “better written.” Instead, notice how each text asks the reader to make meaning. What does the text explain for the reader, and what does it leave the reader to infer? Where do you find yourself actively imagining, noticing or thinking?

Text A

One day, as Meera was walking back from school, she observed that the poor neem sapling near the well had fallen down again. Immediately, she remembered the valuable lesson her teacher had taught the class about how we must always protect Mother Nature. Acting like a responsible citizen, she decided to do her duty. She straightened the sapling and carefully patted the soil around it. Although her hands became dirty and her uniform got stained, Meera did not mind at all. She felt a deep sense of satisfaction in her heart because she knew she had done a good deed. Truly, that day she learnt a very important lesson about being responsible.

Text B

Meera slowed down near the well when she saw the little neem sapling lying flat in the dust again. She dropped her schoolbag with a heavy thump and crouched down. The soil was dry and crumbly, but she packed it tight around the stem until the plant stood up on its own. “Stay straight, na,” she whispered, brushing dirt off a drooping leaf. A woman waiting at the well watched her and clicked her tongue, shaking her head as if it was a waste of time. Meera didn’t look at her. She just wiped her hands on her blue skirt, grabbed her bag and kept walking, glancing back once before turning the corner.

Texts like these shape how much thinking a reader needs to do – from simply following information (Text A) to actively making meaning (Text B). And this is why the choice of text matters so much for building students’ reading comprehension skills. “Authentic texts” like Text B are the best choice for this purpose.

What is an “authentic text”?

When we say authentic texts, we mean texts that are written to be read in real life – not texts that are mainly written to teach a skill or a moral.

Here are three features of authentic texts:

1. Authentic texts follow the natural rhythm of language

They have pauses, emphasis, mood and sometimes even a bit of messiness. This is because the writer is trying to inform, entertain or persuade a real reader. For example, in Text B, the line ‘Meera didn’t look at her’ is a very simple one, one that children and adults would say in conversation, yet it tells us so much about how little Meera bothered about how others judged her  – and this adds to the mood of the story.

Contrast that with the following short text:

Raju has a cap.

Raju taps the cap.

Raju has a map.

Raju taps the map.

This kind of text is built to practise the short a sound (has, cap, taps, map). It is not written because anyone genuinely wants to tell this story.

2. Authentic texts reflect how people from a community naturally interact 

Authentic texts often show language as it is used in everyday life in specific contexts – people noticing things, reacting and speaking naturally. For example, in Text B, Meera says, “Stay straight, na.” That small “na” instantly sounds like real speech in an Indian context. Similarly, the woman watching Meera clicks her tongue and shakes her head to show her disapproval, which is also very common in the Indian context.

On the other hand, in Text A, Meera “immediately remembered the valuable lesson her teacher had taught” and “acted like a responsible citizen,” but in real life, children usually don’t think in such perfect moral ways. Instead, they do small things (or don’t), get distracted, feel annoyed or move on. 

3. Authentic texts invite the reader to think deeply

Because authentic texts don’t explain everything, they invite readers to infer, problem-solve and think critically. For example, when Meera ‘glances back once before turning the corner,’ the text doesn’t tell us why. The reader has to think: Is she worried it will fall again? Is she proud? Is she looking at the sapling or at the woman?

Compare that with Text A, which tells us that Meera ‘felt a deep sense of satisfaction in her heart because she knew she had done a good deed. Truly, that day she learnt a very important lesson about being responsible.’ Here, the reader doesn’t have to infer much because the text hands over the meaning quite directly.

In simple terms, authentic texts are “real” texts, written for real readers and not for phonics or grammar drills OR for direct teaching of morals, so they naturally build deeper language understanding, richer vocabulary and more active meaning-making.

How to use authentic texts for reading comprehension

Studies have shown that students who regularly read authentic texts more than textbook-made passages:

• show better overall reading comprehension

  • become stronger at identifying main ideas and noticing important supporting details

  • are better able to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words from context

  • improve at real reading behaviours like skimming, scanning and reading with a clear purpose

  • feel emotionally connected to a story or topic

• are more motivated to read because texts feel real and meaningful

So, research strongly supports the use of authentic texts in the classroom to build not only reading comprehension skills but also a love for reading. However, teachers may hesitate to use authentic texts due to the worry that language will be “too hard” – with unfamiliar words and more grammatically complex sentences – so students may struggle and need a lot of teacher support. These concerns are valid. The following strategies can help make the use of authentic texts a lot easier for both teachers and students:

1. Read both textbook chapters and authentic texts (from the school library!) with your students. The textbook chapters can be used mainly to build the foundation of phonics, vocabulary and grammar skills, and sometimes even in understanding some moral principles, while authentic texts can be used to build reading comprehension skills of inferring, comparing and predicting on this foundation.

2. If your students are used to reading only textbook chapters, introduce them to authentic texts that are short and familiar, like a short story paragraph, a poster, a notice, a recipe, a simple news snippet, a timetable, a WhatsApp message, a school circular, etc. Even 10-15 minutes, 3 times a week with an authentic text can make a difference over time.

3. Instead of simplifying the authentic text (using simpler words to replace difficult words in the story, breaking down complex sentences into simple sentences), use strategies that support students to understand the authentic text as it is. These could include pre-teaching vocabulary words, giving context about the story events before you begin reading, thinking aloud as you read to model how you make sense of the text (“This part doesn’t say it directly… so I’m guessing…”), and so on.

4. As you read, ask questions that match what real reading requires – that is, what kinds of questions students must ask themselves in their minds when they read authentic texts independently. To start off, you can use this simple combination of questions:

   • What is happening?

   • Which line tells you that?

   • What do you think she felt/Why did she do that?

In the early and foundational years, students will not be able to read authentic texts independently. In these years, it is best for teachers to use authentic texts during storytelling sessions. [Learn more with the online, self-paced TEPS Course How to Conduct Storytelling Sessions.]

Authentic texts are real-life texts, written for real readers, not just to teach a skill or a moral. Research shows they strengthen comprehension and motivation because they make students practise real meaning-making instead of just answer-finding. Start small, use supportive routines (not simplification), and over time your students will grow into more confident, thoughtful readers.

---

If you found this newsletter useful, please share it.

If you received this newsletter from someone and you would like to subscribe to us, please click here.

Edition: 5.08