For SJSU MLIS FOR LIBR263

1. Teaching with Children’s
Books
Chapter 18
Elizabeth Goode
LIBR 263

2. Basal vs. Trade

3. What was the first book
that ever grabbed you as
a reader?
Why? Was it an assigned book?

4. Trade Books
“The purpose of both fiction and
nonfiction trade books is not so much to
inform, which they do very well, as it is
to excite, to introduce, to let the reader
in on the irresistible secrets of life on
Earth.” p. 233

5. Why choose Trade over Textbook:
Trade Textbook
• Individual language that • More detached disjointed
creates meaning and style
perspective • Less appealing
• All sizes, formats and illustrations/diagrams with
length industrial appearance
• Richer understanding of • Unable to develop a single
topic idea with any depth
• Written and published • Published only every 5-10
more often-latest info years and expensive, old
• Personal viewpoint, info
individual voice • Written by committee,
• Different reading levels detached/distant
• One reading level

6. Research Support:
• More access to trade books improv ed pre-school
age reading scores (Books Aloud Program).
• Children struggle with informational text simply
because they do not have enough experience
working with it.
• Exemplary teachers were found to be teachers who
provided a literacy-rich environment for kids.
• Literature-based instruction helped children catch up
after entering school with limited literacy experience.
• Children’s motivation to read is strongly influenced by
access to books. P. 236-238

7. Using Trade book in the
Curriculum
• Talking about Books
• Creative Response
• Use in other Subjects

8. Grand Literature
Conversations Circles
• Characterized by • Provide an opportunity
teachers participating for small groups of
fully in the conversation children to talk together
• Model and share about a text
thought processes and • Make their own
personal interpretations questions and lead the
of the story dialogue
• Open-ended prompts • Groups choose own
• Discussion of literary books
merit and technique • Time isn’t structured

9. “If assigned responses detract from the reading
experience and diminish the desire to read, they
need to be rethought.” p. 240
Creative Responses
• Students choose book they want to
respond to, choose activity and read
without any obligation to respond
• Reconsider the traditional book report
• Reconsider the whole class novel

10. Book Reports
• Rewrite part of the
story
• Draw portraits of the
main characters
• Research music
from the time period
• Give a party for the
characters

11. Whole Class Novel
“In a class of 30
students, it seems
unlikely that any one
book will satisfy the
interests of more
than, say, half of the
children.” p. 243
-provide choice with
limits in small book
groups

12. Other Subjects
“Children won’t see
how books from the
library fit into daily
instruction unless
teachers include
them as a natural
part of the
classroom learning.”
p. 244

13. Tunnell, M. O., Jacobs, J.S., Young, T.A., Bryan,
G. (2012). Children's Literature, Briefly, (5th
Edition). Allyn & Bacon.