Poetry

"Poetry, at its most basic, is a short story, lyrical response to the world. It is emotion under extreme pressure or recollection in a small space. It is the coal of experience so compressed it becomes a diamond" - Jane Yolen

 

For children, poetry should convey the experiences and perceptions of the child in a way that is meaningful. Children who learn to read and write poetry on their own at an early age gain a remarkable understanding for the genre. The following are the four elements of poetry:

 

 

Rhythm: The beat or movement of words in a poem.

Rhyme/Sound Pattern: Affects the musical quality of poetry.

Imagery: Involves one or more of the five senses; to see, feel, hear, taste, smell.

Shape: Words may be organized in a way to add meaning and/or create a visual image of the poem.

 

 

 

As a teacher, I will use a lot of the suggestions from our textbook when teaching poetry. For example, reading poems aloud to children with energy, passion, and delight. I will encourage my students to write in poetic fashion, using all of the tools that poets use. I will show examples of poems and let my students hear recordings of poems. I like the suggestion to use big-book formats for the students.

 

 



Modern Fantasy

Modern fantasy has roots in folktales, legends, and myths. Fantasy takes us beyond the world we know and defies the natural laws of physics. There are two categories that modern fantasy stories are classified under; low fantasy and high fantasy. Low fantasy stories take place in the real world, but magical elements make them fantasy. High fantasy stories take information and experiences from the real world and project them into "another world".

Some examples of categories in Modern Fantasy:

Animals- attributes human feelings, thoughts, and language through animals that have human characteristics
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Whittington by Alan Armstrong
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rats by Lynne Jonell

Toys and Objects- demonstrates belief in human characteristics children give their playthings
Winnie the Pooh by A.A Milne
The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban
Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins

Miniature Worlds- highlights human emotions by displaying them in action on a miniscule level
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Littles by John Peterson
The Doll People by Ann Martin

Time Warps- focus on a central character going through difficult adjustment periods, such as loneliness, alienation, and sensitivity associated with time travel
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass


Motifs in Modern Fantasy:

• Magic
• Other Worlds
• Good vs. Evil
• Heroism
• Special Character Type
• Fantastic Objects

More great examples of Modern Fantasy books:
http://www.librarything.com/tag/modern+fantasy



Johnson, Denise. The joy of children's literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub, 2009. Print.

Historical Fiction

Historical fiction brings together historical fact and imagination. Historical fiction also helps us experience the lives of the people and events from the past. This specific genre is neither fantasy nor nonfiction, but it is realistic in the sense that they are possible. Historical fiction should represent authentic times and events. These books should also strike a sense of realism.

 

Our textbook suggests that after we read a historical fiction book within our classroom, we should create an author chart to document what the children noticed about historical fiction. I really like this idea because this activity will ensure the students' understanding of historical fiction. Another suggestion to check for students' understanding is to create some type of drama once the story is finished. They will become completely engaged in the story which will help them comprehend.

This cool website provides examples of great historical fiction books, check it out:
http://bookgirl3.tripod.com/historicalfiction.html


Johnson, Denise. The joy of children's literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub, 2009. Print.

Nonfiction: Biographies and Informational Books

Johnson(2009) defines nonfiction as the "literature of fact consisting of biographies and informational books that revolve around the social and scientific world" (pg. 267). The foundation of nonfiction literature is truth. Students may consider nonfiction books boring or uninteresting, however when making decisions about nonfiction books within the classroom, there are considerations to take into account. For example, the text accuracy, the role of children's preferences, and multicultural understanding in the specific selection.

It is very significant for our students to read nonfiction books. These books give a real life understanding to our students. Nonfiction books should be available in all classrooms. As a teacher, I plan to provide many nonfiction resources for my students. I want them to start reading nonfiction text at a young age, so they are not affected in their intermediate, middle, and high school year. I want my students to have confidence when reading nonfictional books.


Here is a website that lists some popular nonfiction books:
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/kids-non-fiction


Johnson, Denise. The joy of children's literature. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Pub, 2009. Print.

Realistic Ficton

"Realistic fictions is realistic in the sense that the setting, characters, and events are plausible - they reflect contemporary places, people, and situations. Yet, these stories are fiction because the characters and events did not really happen even though many authors write stories based on their own childhood experiences"(Johnson, 2012).

Categories of Realistic Fiction:

• Survival/Adventure
• Mystery
• Humor
• Animals
• Sports
• Family
• Growing Up

The following are good realistic fiction characteristics:

• portrays the realities of life
• helps children see the world from another perspective
• helps children understand that their problems are not much different from others
• provides a literary framework for the development of a sense of personal and civic competency and the ability to make improvements.

A few considerations of realistic fiction are moralizing and bias/stereotypes.

Many children are drawn to realistic fiction, so this is the perfect opportunity for us teachers to build on our students' interests. When a child is interested in something they will most likely want to know more, therefore they will read more and begin to comprehend what they are reading. Realistic fiction gives us the perfect opportunity!

Diverse Perspectives in Children's Literature

According to our textbook, "The ability to see other cultures and life experiences is important in developing children's perspective, insight, and possibilities as they progress to becoming citizens of the world" (Johnson, 2012).

Diversity is seen in all types of categories such as:

• Culture
• Language
• Religion
• Social class
• Age
• Exceptionality
• Family structure

It is crucial that us teachers educate all children on the topic of diversity. Teaching children diversity at a young age will give that child an open mind to all the different classmates, as well as teachers, he/she will have throughout their school career.

"Multicultural literature helps children to see themselves reflected in stories, and it shows them hoe people unlike them feel, think, and live". (Johnson, 2012). Benefits of multicultural literature are as follows:

• provides enjoyment of quality literature that meets the criteria of literary and artistic merit
• presents information and knowledge about the historical and continuing contributions of the people of diverse cultures
• exposes children to diverse viewpoints
• fosters awareness, appreciation, and understanding of people who are different from themselves
• promotes critical inquiry into issues of equal representation

The New Literacies: The World of Online Children's Literature

Technology has a large significance in just about every person's life. Whether it is having the latest version of the iPhone, or just searching the web, we all use technology daily. "Ninety-three percent of children ages 8-18 spend an average of 90 minutes a day using the computer at home(Kaiser Foundation, 2010). Of that 90 minutes, 75% of this time is spent is spent on social networking, watching videos, or playing games. It is up to us teachers to use online networks wisely as a learning resource for our children.
 
Benefits to including digital texts in the literacy curriculum:

• Online Read Alouds
• Online Books
• Interactive Storybooks
• Virtual Meet the Author
• Webcasts of Authors and Illustrators

SEARCH is a great acronym for teachers to refer to while students browse the web. This helpful strategy will determine if students are on track:

• S: Set a purpose for searching.
• E: Employ effective search strategies.
• A: Analyze search engine results.
• R: Read critically and synthesize information.
• C: Cite your sources.
• H: How successful was your search?

Not only can students search the web to find out answers to their questions, create projects, and even read online; however with the type of Internet communication available, students can respond through these ways:

• Online Book Discussions
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Book Trailers

I believe it is safe to say that including digital texts in the literacy curriculum is very beneficial if all the resources are used to their fullest potential.