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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade PreK ELA): Author Study – Voices & Point of View

PreK literature and author study unit: students learn to identify who is telling a story—character or narrator—while exploring the roles of author and illustrator. By comparing books from the same author, they build comprehension, voice awareness, and early literary analysis skills.

Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

• 6 min read
Unit Plan 35 (Grade PreK ELA): Author Study – Voices & Point of View

Focus: Who is telling the story; compare author choices

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Literature • Author’s Craft • Oral Language)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session (use two short blocks if needed)

I. Introduction

This week launches a gentle author study using 2–3 picture books by the same author. Children learn to notice who is telling the story (a character “I” voice vs. a narrator “he/she” voice), name the author and illustrator and what each does, and compare characters’ experiences across two books by that author. We use puppets, voice hats, and repeated lines to make narrator choices visible and fun.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

  1. Name the author and illustrator of a story and say what each does (RL.PK.6).
  2. Tell who is speaking in a page or story (character “I/me” vs. narrator “he/she/they”) using voice clues (RL.PK.6).
  3. Compare the adventures/experiences of characters across two stories by the same author (one same, one different) (RL.PK.9).
  4. Share a complete oral sentence that names the author and who is telling (“The author is __. The story is told by __.”) (SL.PK.6).
  5. Create a simple voice page (drawing + dictated line) that matches a chosen narrator (“I see…/He sees…”) (supports RL.PK.6; SL.PK.6).

Standards Alignment — PreK

  • RL.PK.6 With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each; identify who is telling parts of a story.
  • RL.PK.9 With prompting and support, compare the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
  • SL.PK.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas in complete sentences with guidance.

Success Criteria — student language

  • “The author writes the words.” “The illustrator makes the pictures.”
  • “The story voice says I — a character is telling.” / “It says he/she — a narrator is telling.”
  • “In both stories, the character tries __. In this one, they also __.”
  • “I can say: ‘The author is __. The teller is __.’”