Module 4
Question: What do you see as the value of a canon of children’s literature for your teaching?
Question: What do you see as the value of a canon of children’s literature for your teaching?
As mentioned in a previous blog post, my goal as a classroom teacher is to create a literature-rich experience for my students. I recognize I will have a variety of reading levels from below grade-level expectations to exceeding. How can I find a balance? My response: students' choice and using picture books as an anchor to introduce a new topic. I tend to use picture books or descriptive paragraphs from chapter books to provide concrete examples. The literature canon I use in the classroom will be different from what students (may read) enjoy. However, I feel it is imperative as a teacher to share great works of fiction and non-fiction resources to spark an interest in reading. My literary canon is grade appropriate; however, when it comes to read alouds, I tend to focus on engaging novels that use vocabulary that is above their level. Of course, we know that the results in extensive reading lead to better writing, richer vocabularies and increased background knowledge.
I read everyday as I feel it is important for students to hear a book from a fluent speaker. A strong literary canon will help students answer questions and explore new experiences. In today's society where social media, video games and mobile devices are in constant use, I feel I need to fill the reading void for many young students. Children love stories, which offer the escape of falling into unknown worlds and vicariously experiencing the lives of the characters (Miller, p.28). By establishing a well-balanced literary canon, I can influence students to interact more with books, spend more time reading and to demonstrate a positive attitude toward reading.
Now I ensure that all books used in my class has been reviewed or recommended from another colleague. I just recently started to use books recommended by students. Why did I not do this before? I have to remember that they are the stakeholders and should be openly involved with book recommendations. However, before I read a student selected book to the class, I will read a book review to see whether the topic is appropriate.
Examples of my grade 4/5 literature canon includes themes of:
I read everyday as I feel it is important for students to hear a book from a fluent speaker. A strong literary canon will help students answer questions and explore new experiences. In today's society where social media, video games and mobile devices are in constant use, I feel I need to fill the reading void for many young students. Children love stories, which offer the escape of falling into unknown worlds and vicariously experiencing the lives of the characters (Miller, p.28). By establishing a well-balanced literary canon, I can influence students to interact more with books, spend more time reading and to demonstrate a positive attitude toward reading.
Now I ensure that all books used in my class has been reviewed or recommended from another colleague. I just recently started to use books recommended by students. Why did I not do this before? I have to remember that they are the stakeholders and should be openly involved with book recommendations. However, before I read a student selected book to the class, I will read a book review to see whether the topic is appropriate.
Examples of my grade 4/5 literature canon includes themes of:
- family/friendship
- belonging/communities
- empathy
- animals
- creativity
- First Nations
- fairy tales
- loneliness/isolation
- mystery
- emotional feelings
- seasons
References
Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: awakening the inner reader in every child. Jossey-Bass.
Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: awakening the inner reader in every child. Jossey-Bass.