Children’s Literature
Picture Storybooks
Storybooks
Allow children to underestand stories through multiples cues (visual), not only text.
- Early readers need both WRITERLY and READERLY texts
Writerly texts
Readers must use their imaginations to fill in the textual gaps
Readerly texts
The writer has provided most of the information for the reader and the write’s meanins tend to be clear and direct
Wordless books
Help children become engaged with books
Picture books for older readers
Teachers plans an imporatnt role, through dialogue and discussion groups, helping chidlren use inferences to understand these multi-layered stories. Often require multiple readings. Not just for easy reading, often deal with mature and complex themes.
Beginning Chapter Books
Grade 2-4
Readability does not depend on the complecity of language alone, however, but has much to do with the structure of the book and the background experiecne the reader is required to being to it.
- Will likely still contain illustrations
- these books require greater investment of time and effort than a picture book
- movement to these books depends largely on the encouragement of their teacher, peers and own interests
- teachers need to read these books in order to engage in disucssions with children
Novels in Upper Elementary
Graphic Novels
Collections of short stories
Brief fictional narrative that consists of more than just a mere account of an incident. Has a formal structure with unity of time, place and action.
Traditional literacture
Informational books (non-fiction)
Non-book resources
Newspaper, magazine, etc - need to have available for students
Guidelines for appropriate selection
Teacher considerations of guidelines
Critical literacy
Canadian Literature
Canada is a mosaic, not a melting pot…and we need to show literature that represents this.
Language and Thinking
Working with textbooks
Non-fiction and information texts
Multimodal text
Research Projects
Formulate reserach questions to guide the student - the most interesting and motivating questions are those developed the the students themselves
Voices of Writing
model of writing based on the voice of the writer (writer’s purpose, style, tone, commitment, energy, conviction and personality