Education Commons^™

Fish In A Tree Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual living and learning with dyslexia. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience the dilemmas faced and …

Home Of The Brave Book Study Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

Individuals lead storied lives, and everyone has a story to tell. Our stories can be shared orally and documented in print. Often, learners are exposed to stories through novels and other trade books. Teacher educators may benefit from using the stories in novels and trade books as case studies in preservice teacher preparation course. This assignment description outlines how to use the novel, Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate, as a case study to contextualize and understand the lived story of an individual learning a second language and living in a new country. Through the novel, preservice teachers experience …

Where Are The Diverse Families In Australian Children’S Literature? Impacts And Consideration For Language And Literacy In The Early Years, Helen Adam, Sally Murphy, Yvonne Urquhart, Katira Ahmed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A lack of representation of diverse families in children’s books can affirm insecurities and contribute to a sense of “otherness”. This study reports on the representation of family diversity in award-listed Australian children’s picture books. A critical theoretical framework was employed to analyse both texts and images. This study found a lack of diverse family structures in children’s books, especially LGBTIQA+, foster, step and blended families. This paper argues that to ensure inclusive and equitable literacy learning opportunities for all, educators need to go beyond award-listed books when selecting books for early literacy environments.

More Than Words: Using Children's Literature To Promote Self-Awareness In The Primary Grades, Vicki L. Luther

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

Children at the beginning of their formal educational experiences are developing cognitively, socially, and emotionally. However, due to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, many children are behind in these developmental areas. Self-awareness is a foundation of students’ understandings of themselves and the world around them. Without a greater perception of self-awareness, children learning to read in the primary grades might struggle in self-efficacy and motivation, and a lack of self-awareness can even affect students’ understandings of texts in later grades. This article focuses on how teachers can use children’s literature to discuss socioemotional components and to help students recognize …

Supporting Preservice Teacher Development Of Culturally Responsive Reading Instruction Through A Cross-Course Assignment, Brittany Adams, Annemarie Bazzo Kaczmarczyk

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article describes design-based research undertaken by two teacher educators to support elementary preservice teachers (PSTs) in integrating culturally responsive teaching practices with reading methods. The study described was motivated by calls for teacher preparation programs to be more intentional about supporting PSTs in synthesizing their learning across courses, especially when it comes to culturally responsive reading pedagogies. This article focuses on an activity that tasked PSTs to select culturally authentic children’s texts and design interactive read-alouds that engage elementary students in conversations around social justice topics while simultaneously meeting English language arts standards. Analysis of the lesson plans revealed …

Arrows Of Resilience: Teaching The Artemis Archetype In Children’S Literature, Shannon Tovey

Literacy Practice and Research

Story is a powerful vehicle for teaching resilience skills. Strong female archetypes in stories demonstrate qualities of resilience that offer models of how to face adversity, survive it, and thrive. Drawing on psychoanalytic, resiliency, reader response, and Storyworld Possible Selves theories, this work explores the relationship between strong female characters in children’s literature and resilience skills, and explains ways in which analyzing, discussing, and writing about them can help to build emotional competencies that will last a lifetime.

Indigo Letters: Supporting Children Navigating Endings Through Letter Writing, Maggie Brummer

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In the realm of children’s literature, substantial resources are missing as it pertains to supporting students through the universal experience of navigating change, specifically something ending. Indigo Letters was inspired by Blue School’s closure at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. In conducting my own research, I quickly learned resources regarding this type of ending are nonexistent. Stories touching school closures are missing on Early Childhood bookshelves because prior to COVID-19, that was rarely a reality of private institutions. According to the Center For Educational Freedom, as of April 2021, there were “132 private schools that announced closures due …

Student With Twice-Exceptionalities Iep Meeting Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

General education teachers should remember that all students are general education students, first. We need to be prepared to work with students of all abilities in our classrooms. As general education teachers, we have an active role on a child’s IEP team and an active role during the IEP meeting. This assignment asked preservice teachers to develop a script of what they would say at an IEP meeting of one character from four different novels that would be considered a child with twice-exceptionalities.

Journey “Box” Assignment Description, David Wolff

Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning

The Journey “Box” allows preservice teachers to explore and share their own historical narrative as they different aspects of their own family’s journey to America. The Journey “Box” first asks preservice teachers to explore themes by reading children’s literature and then positions preservice teachers as interviewers as they seek out different facets of their family’s historical narrative from members of their family. Preservice teachers then use their experience with a Journey “Box” to design an inquiry that could be used in their field experience. The Journey “Box” integrates social studies standards and best practices with ELA standards.

"So Many Hopes": A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Children's Picture Books That Portray Refugees, Janine J. Darragh, Jane E. Kelley

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Researchers used content analysis to analyze 40 award-winning and “best of” children’s picture books that portray refugees to answer the questions: How are refugees depicted in picture books? What messages are embedded in those depictions? Results show patterns and themes regarding depictions of trauma and violence in conjunction with setting as well as the portrayal of the arts as a vehicle for refugees to ignite personal agency in coping with the trauma they experienced. Implications for practice are discussed.

An Investigation Of Protagonists In Storybook Apps For Children, Todd S. Cherner, Nandita Gurjar

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Children’s literature has historically been rife with implicit biases and underlying themes, and few scholars have investigated the impact technology has had on those elements appearing in children’s literature. In response, this study used a content analysis methodology to evaluate 38 storybook applications (apps) for containing implicit biases and underlying messages related to the narrative’s protagonists. These storybook apps were designed for young children to engage on their iPads. Overall, the study found that the storybooks apps predominantly featured protagonists who were White, middle-class, able-bodied males. The researchers first provide their rationale for the study along with their theoretical framework …

Changing Terms, Not Trends: A Critical Investigation Into Children’S & Young Adult Literature Publishing & Its Effect In Curriculum & Pedagogy, Keith Newvine, Sarah Fleming

The Language and Literacy Spectrum

The central argument proposed within this article is that while recent publishing trends in children’s and adolescent literature have changed for the better (Cooperative Children’s Book Center, 2019) and research about the importance of diverse reading experiences for students has become concentrated, centered, and validated (Bishop, 1990; Adichie, 2009; Tschida, Ryan, & Ticknor, 2014; Thomas, 2016; Parker, 2020: Ebarvia, German, Parker, & Torres, 2020), many schools are still struggling with (or hesitant to) changing the texts centered in classrooms with youth. Therefore, this article provides practical steps that practicing teachers can take in order to center the voices and narratives …

Empowering Children's Literature For Stressful Times, Barbara C. Wheatley Ed.D., Jennifer Whorrall Turner Ed.D.

Virginia English Journal

Abstract

Reading and books are synonymous with children and education. Caregivers and educators alike understand the many benefits of reading books to help children learn about their world but also to help manage emotions. As the pandemic rages across the country and the world, books are one way to help children deal with the emotions that are present in their lives. Bibliotherapy is explored as the practice of clinically and educationally using literature to help children deal with anxiety and stress. Research is explored that supports the emotional needs of children and the use of books to help children empathize …

More Than One Story: A Bioecological Model Of Elementary Educators’ Perceptions And Representations Of Diversity, Angela Curfman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Classroom teachers have long employed children’s literature in the classroom. Exposure to children’s literature offers a plethora of gains and benefits. Through the usage of children’s literature, critical thinking skills are fostered and factual information is obtained (Hancock, 2000). Varied cultures, linguistic backgrounds, families with diverse socio-economical, and academic backgrounds constitute our public school classrooms. Children’s literature provides readers an opportunity for self-affirmation; therefore, they often seek a mirror in books, (Bishop, 1990). The thoughtful selection of children’s literature in the classroom is essential. Through the lens of Bishop’s (1993) metaphorical notion of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass …

“If We Don’T Include Literature, Where Do We Teach Our Students From?” An Effort To Introduce Children’S Literature To Indonesian Preservice Teachers, Tati L Durriyah

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Indonesia’s new literacy initiative called Gerakan Literasi Sekolah (GLS) focuses on developing literacy-rich school environments through a sequence of book engagements. As the locus of control in daily literacy activities (Lehman, 2007), teachers in Indonesia assume much of the responsibility for student literacy learning. Despite this, Indonesian teachers receive minimal preparation in facilitating literacy instruction using literature; for example, courses that introduce student teachers to children’s literature are not commonly offered in Indonesian teacher education. This study aims to fill in the dearth of data regarding the efforts to introduce Indonesian preservice teachers to literature for children and the pedagogy …

Cuentos De Hadas En El Siglo Xxi, Vigencia En Medio De La Incertidumbre, Carlos Rubio Torres, Ana Coralia Fernández Arias

Revista Electrónica Leer, Escribir y Descubrir

Resumen

Se presenta, en este artículo, un acercamiento a la definición de los cuentos maravillosos o los cuentos de hadas. Tal como lo han confirmado estudiosos como Propp y Todorov, son textos que tienen su origen en la antigüedad. No se sabe, con certeza, dónde se narraron las versiones originales. Durante siglos se transmitieron por medio de la oralidad y fue hasta, aproximadamente, tres siglos que empezaron a difundirse, convertidos en escritura e impresos en libros. No solo son obras destinadas a la niñez pues representan características de todos los seres humanos. En el siglo XXI, los cuentos de hadas …

Probing The Promise Of Dual-Language Books, Lisa M. Domke

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Because dual-language books (DLBs) are written entirely in two languages, they have the potential to help readers develop multilingual literacy skills while acting as cultural and/or linguistic windows and mirrors. However, the ways in which publishers choose words when translating, format languages, and represent cultures have implications for readers in terms of identity, readability, and language learning. This content analysis of 69 U.S. Spanish–English dual-language picturebooks published from 2013–2016 investigated trends in DLBs’ cultural, linguistic, formatting, and readability factors. It also determined these trends’ relationships with publisher types, original publication language, and author and character ethnicity. Findings include that publishers …

What’S The Story With Children’S Literature? A Content Analysis Of Children’S Literature Courses For Preservice Elementary Teachers, Laurie A. Sharp, Elsa Diego-Medrano, Betty Coneway

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Developing knowledge and understandings related to children’s literature among preservice elementary teachers is a vital component of teacher preparation that should be addressed in a required course. The purpose of the present study was to identify essential learning outcomes addressed in children’s literature courses that were required coursework among elementary teacher preparation programs located in a Southern state. The goal was to discover “the story” in children’s literature coursework and determine to what extent current teacher preparation practices aligned with professional recommendations from recognized experts in the field. The present study employed a qualitative, directed content analysis approach that used …

Re-Reading, Re-Writing, And Re-Imagining Texts: Critical Literacy In A Kindergarten Classroom, Meredith Labadie

Dissertations

This qualitative action research study focuses on the integration of critical literacy practices in a kindergarten classroom. Critical literacy recognizes that no texts are neutral, and that authors position their readers in particular ways. Thus critical literacy practices are those concerned with positioning readers to inquire into issues of language and power, and to disrupt, critique, and challenge texts. In this study, critical literacy was brought to life through a curriculum of rereading and revisiting texts over time. The study took place in the researcher’s kindergarten classroom, and follows students’ discussion, written responses, and dramatizations around texts read aloud in …