Textbook Reflections Ch. 8-10

Textbook Reflections Ch. 8-10

Ch. 8 Poetry:

Poetry is the most neglected form of literature partly because of the bad experiences we’ve had with it.  Students feel like they are not smart enough or that it’s too complicated.  However, poetry has so many formats that it gives students the freedom to explore writing it without fear of breaking any rules. Research has shown that elementary students prefer narrative poetry because they love listening to stories.  The two types of verse they dislike is free verse and haiku.  They dislike the free verse because it lacks rhythm and rhyme and the haiku because it’s so short; the exception to this is writing them.  Poetry that lack sound devices like onomatopoeia and alliteration are seen as less appealing.  Funny poems, poems about familiar experiences and animal poems were particularly popular among young children.  Overall, there is a preference for contemporary poetry.  Additional appealing criteria include the integration of visual images that allow student’s imaginations to expand, and the possibility of having the some interaction within the poem. Repeating the same poem several times should add to the enjoyment. Humor is another characteristic that children love; Limericks are a good pick for young children.  Concrete poems are also appealing. 

Reflection:

I really enjoyed this chapter because it validated some of the feelings I have about the way educators teach poetry to students.  I find myself asking colleagues questions like “do you really have your kids do the TPCASST for every single poem?” or “you’re really going to skip the whole poetry unit?” I find that at times as educators we become to excessive about the technical stuff that we don’t let students enjoy any of it.  On the other hand, some students never get exposed to any of it because the teacher doesn’t want to hear all complaining from the kids.  For sure, poetry is one of the least popular forms among high school students. 

Ch. 9 Historical Fiction:

Historical fiction is set in the past, but the age of the reader can blur what past really is.  Keeping this in mind when labeling books or placing them within a genre is important.  Historical fiction allows students to vicariously experience what living in a previous time and place might have been.  When evaluating a historical fiction, it is important to reference other sources to verify the historical accuracy.  Reading reviews on the book is a good way to ascertain the facts and the various    aspects of the book.  Turning to the CBC and the National Council on Social Studies, to check if the social milieu reflect the historic period accurately is a good idea. Lastly, we should take into account whether or not the theme relates to the modern reader.

Reflection:

          Reading historical fiction provides opportunities for teachable moments about history; however, we should not neglect the possibilities that authors might not always be accurately portraying history.  As educators, we should do our own homework to make sure that we choose books that are factual in representing the past.  

Ch. 10 Realistic Fiction/ Modern Realistic Fiction:

Stories labeled as realistic or modern realistic are usually set in contemporary modern times and have characters, settings and events happen that are believable.  Everything in story can really happen in real life; therefore, it makes it relatable to today’s readers.

The evaluating criteria for Realistic fiction for children includes taking a look at whether or not everything depicted is consistent with the real world.  This includes speech, behavior, gender, cultural elements. Books that convey stereotypes should be avoided is possible. When choosing good realistic fiction, we take into consideration the theme. A good realistic fiction book should not be preachy or too didactic in nature.  The theme should emerge naturally and it should be multifaceted. The subject matter is something else we should think about when evaluating realistic fiction.  The subject matter should be something that the contemporary reader can relate to and should discuss hard issues that the typical young reader might be encountering in their own life. 

Reflection:

Realistic Fiction is probably the most popular subgenre in YA. It can be a mirror or a window in the life of the reader; it can also be an opportunity to develop empathy in a student’s life. For this reason, it is important to keep these evaluating criteria in mind when choosing titles for our students because we want the read to be a great learning and advantageous experience for