Young+Adult+Literature+09

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=Young Adult Literature= media type="custom" key="4722579"

"To the Woman (We Think You're a Teacher) with the Books on the 2 Train"
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Teri Lesesne, aka Professor Nana
Self-proclaimed "Goddess of YA Lit" [|Website] [|Blog] [|Author Podcast] from Stenhouse Publishers

Why Young Adult Literature?
[|Kylene Beers on the goal of creating life-long readers]

=Reading Responses=

"How Classics Create an Aliterate Society" by Don Gallo
The article "How Classics Create an Aliterate Society," by Donald R. Gallo, really opened my eyes to what options there are for adolescent readers. Thinking back on my middle school and high school experience, I don't remember there being that many good books available that interested me. I agree that for adolescents to become excited about reading we should give them books they will like to read. My only concern is: If classics are not taught in middle school or high school at all, will our society lose those stories? If students go on to a college that does not require many English classes, or if they do not go to college at all, they will never learn or appreciate these stories. I didn't love the classics in high school all the time, but when I got to college and had to know them, I was thankful I had learned them. My favorite project in high school was when we got to pick our own book senior year, design a research project around it and present it to the class. I chose "The Poisonwood Bible," by Barbara Kingsolver. I loved the book, and therefore, put more heart and time into my project. I hope that before I become a teacher, I become more familiar with young adult novels that will engage my students. ~Lindsey

I could really relate to this article, considering that when I was in mid/high school I really disliked ready the classics (besides Shakespeare) because there really wasn't anything in them that I could relate to. I think that it is true that mid/high schoolers are not really ready for classic literature because they can't really relate to the characters or enjoy the in depth detail. I loved how he quoted one of his students say that classic lit was like "'Keeping in touch with the dead'" because in a sense this is very true. Teachers are so stuck on teaching classic literature, and totally dismiss modern young adult literature. I think it is very true that mid/high school students feel the most comfortable reading a book if they are able to relate to the happenings/characters of the book, because classics fail to meet the social and emotional needs of the students. This article really reinforced my love for the concept of silent reading. I think that his idea of reading a catchy introduction to a novel outloud at the start of class is also a really great idea to get kids interested in reading. I would like to know more about how a teacher would go about combining the classics and young adult literature successfully. ~Renee

Gallo's article on young adult literature really resonated with me. I remember reading assigned books in middle and high school and wondering why they were assigned to me. I remember thinking, "What does Grapes of Wrath have to do with me?" Looking back I am thankful for being introduced to books like Great Gatsby that I fell in love with (thought not right away), but I wish I had had an opportunity to read books that were specific to things I was experiencing. I think there has to be a way for teachers to introduce students to both classics and young adult novels in a way that students are engaged and learning. I am glad Gallo suggested silent reading at least a few times a week as a way for students to explore reading. I would be curious to hear Gallo's advice for non-English teachers. How can other teachers encourage reading in their classrooms? ~Melendy

This article was really interesting and I tend to agree with Gallo. The classics are not my favorites. I hated __The Scarlet Letter__ and other such labeled books. I was miserable when I had to read those because it was hard to relate to people and situations that were long laid to rest. It would have been nice to have some more contemporary literature in school so that students could relate to the characters and their problems. There are some really great young adult books and authors out there. I have read many of them when I was that age and I still read them now so that can relate to the students I work with and talk with them about books they would know. At the same time though, I know that I would not have read __The Crucible__ or __The Great Gatsby__ on my own because I would not have been interested. I for one am glad that my teachers in middle school and high school forced us to read some of the classics because the majority of them have influenced me in some form. I would not have made it to Trinity had it not been for these classics because I used them on the AP exam and they saved me. Also, my opinion of these so-called classics has changed over time. I respect my high school teachers for making me read these pieces of literature. I've actually re-read many of them in college and understand them much better than if I had come at them cold. I have an appreciation for writing, just like the one that Gallo gained in college. I just realized it earlier than he did. I knew in high school that I would benefit from reading those awful books in the future and I have. I suppose that this article leaves me with the knowledge that as a reading teacher, I need to have a plethora of books on my class reading list; some that are relevant young adult literature and some that are classics because I have a duty to teach my students about the wide array of books out there and the founts of information and knowledge they can get from these different types of literature. ~Amanda

Gallo is certainly passionate about replacing the classics with young adult literature in the middle and high school Reading/English classroom. While I agree with his assertion that students will read more if they have an interest in a book and/or can feel connected to the book in some way, I know that as a public school teacher I cannot just throw away all of the classics and completely replace them with young adult literature. If he is so passionately convinced that all classics should be taken off the state mandated curriculum then he should by all means go lobby to the state and national government. Until the curriculum is changed all teachers have to work within confines that are preset. I think that it is not until the last page that Gallo finally offers some practical advice, which is basically the same as the previous article about pairing themed books with classics to make them more accessible to readers. I also like his suggestions of having an extensive YA library in your classroom and being the person who knows about and can share good YA books with your students. I do believe that students only really have us to tell them about books they might be interested in, and if we do that then there is a good chance they might become more interested in reading overall. I love all of the books, authors, and especially the other resources he gives on where to find information about good books for teens. I think more YA literature absolutely can and should be incorporated into classrooms, but Gallo is mistaken if he thinks that the classics can be eliminated anytime soon from public high school classrooms. ~Amy Donald R. Gallo's article concerning Young Adult literature brought up the point that YA literature makes students "feel normal, comfortable, and understood." At that stage in their lives, those assurances are integral to an adolescents and young adults happiness. I am interested in connecting YA literature to the classics and reading them as a compliment to one another, a strategy to engage students in reading. I liked this classics and I'm reading a lot of them again in college English class, now I love them. My professors do a great job of really connecting the texts to the wider world, which is something that high school teachers rarely do. In high school you are buried within the text, you don't really look at the book in any sort of historical context or authorial context. If teachers are able to connect the classics with young adult books and the wider world in which both books exist, then students will respond to the texts more. -Stephany Weaver

Chapter 13: "Creating the Confidence to Respond"
The portion of this chapter that sticks out to me the most is the section on "Confidence and Aliteracy" on page 278. I think it is easy to look at students who are not wanting to read a particular book and label them as someone who does not enjoy reading at all. Just because a student does not want to read, "Hamlet," it does not mean they do not enjoy reading anything. I was at one time a "dormant reader." I was too overcommitted in high school and middle school to organizations and clubs for my resume. I loved to read, but I did not always make the time for it. The reading time I had in class, which was not given often, I very much enjoyed. I also agree that "aliteracy is not only an academic problem but also a societal concern" (278). While it is scary enough to think that many in America could not read the constitution and understand it, it is frightening in a different way to consider some would not read it because they have a negative attitude towards reading. ~Lindsey

I agree with Beers on the importance of a comfortable classroom to encourage students to voice their opinions and questions in class. Teachers should make an effort to learn each of their students' names and maybe a few of their interests and they should make sure that the students know their classmates' names. It makes the classroom more like a home so that students will be more willing to talk. I also loved the idea of the "ding-a-ling" bell whenever a student made a nasty comment or gesture about another student. I hate it when kids put each other down, even if it's just an eye-roll. Teachers should never let putdowns slide; they should stop them and enforce some sort of punishment for students who violate it. Lastly, the types of aliteracy that the chapter covered really resonated with me. Throughout high school, I was a dormant reader because I simply did not have enough time during the school year to sit down with a book of my choice to read for fun. I wanted to read, I just couldn't because too many other things demanded my attention and time. It was interesting and frightening to look at these different types because it shows how easily students can fall into these categories. I suppose the thing that I walk away from this chapter with is the realization that silent reading in class is really important and I will strive to provide my students with the time to enjoy books of their choosing in my classroom. ~Amanda

Anything involving the psychology of the adolescent brain interests me. Beers touches on this interest in the very first section of chapter 13, "Creating the Confidence to Respond". I fully agree with the point that she makes concerning adolescence and confidence. As a student's cognitive confidence increases, so also does their social and emotional confidence. For the middle school student, it is the pursuit of these latter two that occupy most of their brain power in a typical school day. Adolescents are generally more concerned with the opinions and trends of their peers than with any academic pursuits. Beers rightly points out that this concern for reputation or image cannot be ignored in the battle to help students read. Many students do not try at difficult tasks simply because they are afraid to fail in front of their peers. By creating a teacher-student relationship of security and a comfortable risk-taking environment within the classroom, teachers can be more effective at helping the student's confidence level rise both within and without the realm of academia. Students want to achieve, they just need to have the opportunities to take the necessary risks without the accompanying fear. Beers seems to have a very good grasp on the adolescent worldview. ~Anna

Chapter 14: "Finding the Right Book"
I think the "Good Books Box" is a great idea to get students engaged in reading. It also helps them feel empowered because they have picked them out themselves instead of the teacher handing it to them. The section on "Read and Tease" reminds me of some book readings I've been to. The author goes to the podium and reads the introduction and then the last part of the first chapter. I'm usually hooked and want to buy the book from them after. Thinking about "selling the book to students" makes me think of how bookstores and authors sell their books and how we can learn how to "sell books" by observing those who do so all the time. I also appreciated the frank language used at the beginning of the chapter about how a book that we like may not be a book our students like. I definitely connect with that. Sometimes, I will recommend a book to a friend and they won't like it. The first few times this happened, I was shocked. Now I think about that person's literary and personal interests before I recommend a book. ~Lindsey

Beers provided some great ways to get students interested in books. I loved the "Good Books" box idea as well as the book talks to try to show students some of the great young adult literature out there. I remember how hard it was to find interesting books in the middle school library when I was that age. I also like the idea of showcasing interesting books on the rims of the blackboard. My mentor teacher from my Middle School Field Seminar last semester did that and it worked really well. This chapter showed that a teacher's library should contain books of all genres, lengths, subject matter, and writing styles as well as magazines and other such reading materials because students will be more likely to find something that appeals to them when there is variety to choose from. I learned that teachers also should stay up-to-date with their knowledge of young adult books because that allows them to advertise these books to the kids and makes it easier to remember what kids are interested in. The only question that this chapter brings to mind is the assumption that high school teachers have the time to take their kids to the library. I question this assumption/idea because in that age group, I don't think a teacher can drag their class to the library unless they are there to find sources for research papers. I think that high school students are at the age where they are either interested in reading or not and will do so on their own time. Forcing them to browse at the school library isn't the way to encourage that age group to read. Also, I don't think that all high school teachers can afford to do that once a week or once every few weeks. If it's an AP class, they are preparing for the test year round because the kids need all the preparation they can get. ~Amanda

Chapter 1: "Why Reading is Like Baseball"
I think that I am going to really enjoy this text. I like the way in which Gallagher used baseball as an analogy for reading a text, as well as the way in which he involved the reader by including the two reading exercises. Gallagher's idea that there is something beyond the surface level of reading really holds true, as I think that it is really crucial that children learn to dig below the surface of reading. I think it is important to note that he stresses the importance of teaching readers to move beyond the literal and to actually be able to interpret the text. The teacher must also keep in mind that they are not teaching the book, but rather teaching their students to interpret the text. A teacher must understand the difference between assigning a book, and teaching a book. A question that I had was: Why is it that Gallagher's recent students have been unprepared to tackle challenging texts? Isn't this a really big problem and doesn't it say something about the English/reading/lit in modern education? ~Renee

It might seem superficial, but I think it is important to say that so far I have been pleasantly surprised at the level of ease with which I can read the texts for this class. I must say I was worried that in a class specifically about reading that the texts would be thick and difficult to navigate, but they have been manageable. Gallagher’s text even looks like it will be quite enjoyable to read. His tone is easy and conversational, so it feels like I am simply speaking with a fellow teacher about how to help my students gain deeper comprehension from reading. Because they have been tried and tested in an actual classroom, I think that the strategies in this book will be practical, useful, and easy to incorporate into existing lesson plans on reading. ~Amy

Succintly put, this is a simple and poignant metaphor for reading. As with any sport, it seems that a superficial understanding of text comprehension can masquerade dangerously as detailed comprehension. Gallagher's point is well taken for any teacher of a Reading classroom. Children must be TAUGHT how to spot the details, the complex themes, etc. Merely decoding text is a beginning. Even a student who reads out loud with ease may be struggling with theme identification, main idea, strategies for deeper understanding, etc. I strongly agree with the author's perspective that strong reading strategies DO belong in middle grades. -Jess

I am impressed by the difference made clear between assigning reading and teaching reading. How the students respond to the text really does depend on how the teacher presents material.

The chapter itself was really easy to read and his ideas were pretty straightforward and clear. -Stephany

"Blending Multiple Genres in Theme Baskets" by Jeannine D. Richison, Anita C. Hernandez, and Marcia Carter
The concept of theme baskets that is outlined in this article is really cool. I think it is a great way to couple classic books and young adult books like Gallo was takling about in his article. I think it is so true that negative experience with reading does cause resistance to reading. I think that it is also really great that theme baskets incorporate alternative media (eg internet/music) that the students are comfortable with, to make them more excited about reading. I find it very interesting that there is such an emphasis on images in order to enhance reading skills, I would have never thought that images images could help students read, but I guess that makes sense. I liked when they dicussed the fact that reading is a mirror to both the student's life/world and the peers around them. I think it is important to note that the theme baskets are so concerned with this concept of multi-genre and multi-cultural, and they push to go beyond the paper and pen assignment. Using multi-genre and mutil-cultural media helps ALL students to connect to the themes of the book that the theme basket is about. I also thought that the mileposts were great because they really use all different types of modes of learning. The most exciting part about the theme baskets is that this activity really makes a point of making sure that ALL readers are able to establish/understand/apply the themes of the book. ~Renee

I like the fact that this idea of theme baskets can incorporate not only several multiple intelligences (and more than likely learning styles also), but a range of multicultural literature as well. Despite the fact that I went to an incredibly diverse high school, I never thought about the fact that most characters I read about in school were Anglo. Now that I am on the other side of the classroom I see how important it is to give students something to connect with in order to help motivate them to read and analyze the texts. I believe that giving students multicultural, multi-level, and multiple genres of texts connected by theme could help motivate students to read because they can connect on a cultural level, skill level, and level of interest. ~Amy

I agree with both of you in thinking that theme baskets can make reading more enjoyable for students and also provide perspectives to society that many students had not previously been exposed to. The aspect of theme baskets that I like the most is that many students will be reading different books at the same time. My expierence in grade school was that reading could easily become a competition, thus making it very frustrating for the slower readers in the classroom. By reading different books at the same time this feeling of competitivenss is taken away and children are able to focus more on the content of what they are reading rather than simiply struggling to appear as if they are keeping up with their classmates. I would imagine that this is often times hard to do without slowing down the stronger readers in the class but with theme baskets those stronger readers are urged to progress onto more advanced pieces of literature that match up with the same topic of study while the slower readers are allowed take reading at their own pace. This ablity to level the playing field without slowing down those who are already strong readers makes theme baskets a very good reading program and has convienced me that it is probably successful in many classrooms. ~Jeff

It was very helpful to read the article on theme baskets. It is important to make connections between different kinds of reading and different kinds of texts, because it makes learning reading seem more applicable to live for students. The author's point about multi-cultural texts really struck a cord with me, because I believe it is imperative that students read texts that represent the nationalities in their classroom and others that they would otherwise never come into contact with. -Stephany

Chapter 7: "Building a Community of Learners"
Right from the start I enjoyed this chapter and the layout of the textbook in general. Chapter 7 starts off by presenting some stats that show that it is much more likely for students that come from supporitve enviorments to do well on standardized tests than it is for students that come from enviornments with very low support levels. It then goes on to list some qualities present in classrooms with high social support systems. A few of these qualities reminded me of ideas present in the theme basket discussion. The ability to "relate the subject to students' personal interests" and helping students "work together to solve problems" are ideas represtned in both, this chapter and in the theme baskets article. The rest of the chapter was about general ideas such as making the classroom a place where students can trust the teacher, finding value in students' questions, and setting rules for the class. Since I was already aware of many of these ideas for classroom management this chapter served more as a reminder on how to make students feel comfortable with their teacher and in their classroom. ~Jeff