CLASS SIX (July 21):

1)     Reading Lesson presentations.   Questions for group.  Feedback to group at the end.  (Congratulations!  Our first groups did so well.)   Please go to link at top left of this page to see the lessons that were presented today.

2)     Lecture

Literature is something I feel very passionate about.  The ways of learning through literature are almost limitless.  And that is why reading is so important.  I feel one of the main reasons every person ought to learn how to read is in order to be able to read quality literature.  Quality literature exists for all ages, from a few months to over a hundred years. When we engage with this kind of reading it takes our learning to a new level.

What is "quality literature"?  I think we can break it down according to a few critical points. 

First, is it interesting?  And often with children's books, we might ask, is it appealing?  -- visually and often involving other senses.   Often when the story is so engrossing, a child might not even know he is reading.   Normally reluctant readers who struggle with word identification or decoding forget about their difficulties because they need to know what happens next in the story.   Their interest is the driving force behind learning to read so they can finish the book.

Some books may not have the benefit of attractive illustration but the story is still of high quality.  Often the teacher can provide a "hook" for the students and increase their interest in the book. 

Another critical point to consider in choosing literature is to ask if it serves as a springboard into class discussions.  Students are drawn to significant topics, subjects that are relevant to their lives.  There are many books that broach difficult subjects with sensitivity, such as illness, having an operation, moving and changing schools, leaving friends behind, death of a pet, and so on.  The main thing in this case is for the teacher to know her students.  If someone has just lost a beloved pet, perhaps it is not the right time to read a story about death.   But often literature on these subjects provides enough distance for the students to be able to discuss ideas and find a controlled outlet for their feelings.  After all, it didn't happen to them but to a character in the story.  But they may know someone who had this experience and can relate to the story.  My brother had his appendix out.  My best friend moved away.  Lately there has been much talk about introducing books into the school that reflect different lifestyles.  Titles similar to "Mommy and Daddy don't live together now" or "David has two mothers" may be current but another type of sensitivity is required.  Parents of the children may not want these subjects introduced to their child.  Again, it is necessary for teachers to know their students, the students' families and the school's attitude towards the material.  These books should be given consideration all around before reading them in class.  Lastly, the teacher should decide in advance how she feels about some sensitive subjects.  If she is not comfortable, she is better off making other selections.  The main point here is that it is difficult to remain objective with the students if a topic personally offends the teacher.  Teachers have to be careful not to promote a judgement one way or another on certain lifestyles.   The students will work out their own opinions for themselves after hearing the varied opinions of their classmates.

With some literature there is a "moral" to the story, some ancient wisdom or common sense to be learned.  Fables, myths and fairy tales often present conflicts and the most complex stories tell us that life is about making compromises.  The hero wants to be good, but sometimes there are unclear or difficult choices and bad things still happen.  These more challenging kinds of stories help children learn how to cope better, or understand that life is not simple.   Discussions after these kinds of stories are crucial to furthering the students' understanding.

Especially in intermediate or secondary grades, we find books that have the child/teen as the main character.  By this age, most students are able to use their imagination and recognize some part of themselves in the focal character.   When this identification happens, they are able to go deeper into the story.   This is an important step in their emotional development.  When they are able to leave the concrete details of their own life behind and make the transition into the character's world, they access a second kind of imagination, called the "moral imagination".  They really seem to know what it feels like to be in that kind of situation.  Quality literature can make us believe we know what it would be like to have been born in ancient China or in the jungles of South America, to be fabulously rich or dirt poor.  We also have a sense of the conflicts they face and we no longer judge them for their actions because we understand their lives.  We see more than one side of the story.  This is perhaps one of the most important things that literature does:   it teaches us compassion and understanding of people very different from ourselves.   Because when we have imagined their lives, they are no longer different from us.

USES OF LITERATURE

(from our CMCM textbook, Chap. 6)

Develops imagination, allows an imaginative release

Identification

Fun, silly

Transcendent experience

Learn classic stories: myths, fairy tales, fables, famous stories

Informational:  learn about other times and places, people and customs - get factual information about them

Promotes thinking and feeling

Subtlety:  learn to pick up on hints, clues, nuance; figurative language, double or multiple meanings

Positive feelings

Jump offs into novels (read excerpts in class - students want to read longer works)

Poetry - learn what language can do, rhythm, beauty

WAYS TO PROMOTE READING LITERATURE

(from Chap. 6 CMCM)

Reading aloud:  two or more times a day, good to read in "transition" times - first thing in the morning, right after lunch.   Re-reading, clusters of books, teacher modulating voice, reading with expression.   Visual aspect.

Book talks:  students present and discuss

Book displays:  invitation to readers, change often

Response journals:  as a class or individually.   Allow for different interpretations

Literature discussion groups:  book circles, book clubs

Daily "SSR" Silent Sustained Reading:   Students' choice, quiet time, comfortable place

Building a library:  Need a large and varied assortment of reading materials.  Borrow from the school library, public library, raise money, enlist PAC, garage sales, donations, students share books from their home collections

Book response projects:  celebrate milestones in reading

Retellings:  drama, puppets, story boards, readers' theater, posters, collages, maps, timelines, comic strips

Balance:  teacher guided discussion still allows for students to maintain their own unique view of the story.  Respect for different interpretations.