I have seen on many occasions children exhibit more than one of the ideas presented in this article, and I enjoy the phrase "entering in". the child really does seem to enter in to the story world, the lines of reality blur and they are able to insert themselves right into the plot. I like to encourage such creative thinking and imagination when I read to children, I feel it makes the text much more enjoyable for them and creates a deeper interest in reading.

I try to engage my young readers in controlling the story all the time while I read. I will ask them questions about what they would do in certain situations that are presented in the text or why they think characters acted the way they did. I feel it really helps to bridge connections between the author and the listener.

When I read to my nanny baby she very often exhibits this behavior. she will interject constantly while I am reading and is displaying that she is fully invested in the story.

When children are so engaged in a story that they feel moved to physically act out the scene I feel very good about how and what I am reading to them. I know that I, myself, am showing enough interest in the text to get them engaged on a level higher than simply listening.

kids should be able to use these five tools to engage in the reading process. This will help them connect and engage with the reading.

These are behaviors I have witnessed in the classroom during read-alouds. Sometimes constructive, and other times not.

This makes me wonder about all of my English teachers that would have students take turns reading paragraphs in the book rather than them reading it to us. we were often choppy readers who didn't display great emotion while we read. why is it that some teachers prefer to use this method, when there is so much research that confirms the importance of read alouds?

I think this is a very important and notable point. It is sometimes difficult, especially as students get older, to get them to engage with the text. If a teacher is not creating interest by reading enthusiastically, then it is almost guaranteed the students will not gain as much from it as if the teacher were reading it with real interest and excitement. I know from personal experience that when I am tired on a particular day I do not read as excitedly to my 6 year old nanny baby, and on these days she is far less engaged with the material. However when I am energetic and excited to be reading, she watches me intently and often asks me to read additional books.

This seems linked to the importance of encouraging oral communication in emerging readers. Households that emphasize vocalization and speak frequently tend to produce children who have an easier time learning to read. it seems that with read alongs that also helps to encourage oral communication, but creates a relationship with books and learning that simply speaking to one another does not.

Discussing the text is important because it gets the students engaged and helps them understand the text. The students can draw meaning, and inquire about the book. It gives students a chance to ask questions or have question be answered simply by talking about occurrences in the text.

I agree with it helping first and second language speakers. It is a good way for kids to learn new vocabulary and ideas.

Reading aloud makes kids want to read more and it helps them engage in the story. with the brief conversations in-between pages, it could help students better grasp the reading. It also gets kids excited about reading.

This hits the nail on the head. The literature circles are just a mirror for the climate within and outside of the classroom. If the students are experiencing a lot of tension and discourse in the school, classrooms, and neighborhoods, this will be reflected within activities such as literature groups. If the students are given the skills to self-assess, appreciate others, and be patient, respectful and understanding, those abilities will permeate all facets of their lives.

I love this quote and I firmly believe it. I know for me I was very defiant, as many kids are, when literature was assigned to me. Simply by being told I HAD to read something, I was less likely to do it. I love the idea of children being able to choose their own text, because they are so much more likely to be engaged with it and take ownership over it. The emotional connections that are drawn when reading something "voluntary" vs something mandatory, are often very different.

I love this idea. I think it really is a great way for students to take inventory of what they're saying and why. It is so easy for a classroom to get off task and distracted, especially when having group discussions. I think this is a really smart way to help control the situation and also make it equitable.

This is a very powerful statement and huge issue across America. So many regions, especially urban ones, are in unrest and it makes learning take a backseat to survival. Fixing this issue is most important because it is the root of so many problems within schools, and for children in general.

This seems to me to be the struggle as a teacher in general, not just as applied to literature circles.

Not everything can be fixed right away and even when teachers have the best plans in play to help students, it might not always be enough, a different approach may be needed.

This seems an important distinction. By summarizing the students are displaying comprehension, which, while important, does not foster a love for literature. By having the students react to their readings they are being asked to connect on an emotional level with it, which creates a relationship with literature that reaches beyond comprehension.

It seems very important to take a wholistic approach to reading, such as including it with the other aspects of language as mentioned above. Doing worksheets and workbooks to solidify reading practice and instruction is very compartmentalized and doesn't offer the same quality of connection that integration does.

I find this quote to be very important. The statement that, "Assumptions...can really constrict teaching and learning"goes along with my last annotation, which states that ambiguity is the warp of life, not something to be eliminated. When we assume and judge people, especially students when we are in an authoritative position over them as their teacher, we can do a lot of damage. Assuming things about their personality and/or home life can have many unintended consequences, such as us perhaps not holding the child to high enough standards or lowering our expectations. It is very important to not judge and assume things about our students, because, as Sonja states in this quote, assumptions can really constrict learning. Furthermore, she asserts that learning is building on a child's prior knowledge, so having a clear understanding of who the child is, and why, can help create a more conducive environment in which they may learn.

This quote resonated with me because ambiguity is essential to learning. Keeping an open mind and being conscientious of new information and conflicting views creates mental flexibility and dexterity.

It is important to have high expectations for your students and to know what they are capable of doing.

Poetry should be a fun topic to teach, not a daunting chore.

I have never really thought of including this in a read aloud, but I think it could be very important and useful.

This is so true. I have direct experience with this. Because I liked reading as a child, I did it often, and still do it. Because my brother did not like it, he did not do it often, and to this day does not do it unless he is required to.

I will always think this is one of the most important parts of a lesson. If students don't know why they are doing something, what the point of it is, why would they ever be interested in it? Purpose needs to be explicit.

This is a crucial point. I think that too often, we get caught up in conversation as always being a bad thing. Conversation needs to happen, starting when students are young, or by the time they are asked to have conversation, it will not be an easy task.

This is another good way, too, to ensure that students are not constantly grouped only with students who read at the same level/ability as them.

This is something that I need to keep in mind when I am designing mini-lessons. I find myself getting into really elaborate ideas, which are not bad, but in practice, might be confusing to a child.

I like that students are able to make choices using this model. I think this is a great way to make students feel responsible for what they are doing, and get them interested in the task.

This is really interesting to me. It also kind of worries me. As a child, I would have been able to accomplish quite a bit of reading in 10 minutes. For my brother, who struggled with reading, 10 minutes may have amounted to only 2 pages. To see peers accomplishing way more than you in reading may be frustrating, and may lead to thinking they are not as good at reading (the case with my brother).

This is really interesting. Even in classrooms with many students, teachers will be able to keep up with each student, and conference with them when necessary. This is a great way to ensure that reading and progress is actually taking place.

This is so important. If students do not know what is expected, how can they achieve it? How can they be clear that they are achieving it? Nothing is more frustrating than not being sure what you're supposed to be doing, or doing something, and finding out it wasn't actually what you were supposed to be doing. Being clear with students will, also, I think, create a positive environment.

This is essential for students to keep in mind. I also want to note it because it is the experience I had throughout my entire time in elementary school.

This is such an important point. I think one of the biggest ways we can get students interested in a subject is to show them that it is interesting. There's nothing more motivating than seeing that your teacher is doing something and liking it, too.

While this is a practical suggestion, in that students can't be talking and reading at the same time, I think this is how teachers get so caught up in managing their class, rather than facilitating a reading space. If they respond to every whisper they hear they 1) have to talk themselves to redirect the students (what message does that send to students about not talking?) and 2) they have to interrupt the reading of all students (even those who were not talking). "Silence" can't be the solution to an effective reading environment, though quiet is important in a reading space.

This is a shocking statistic that I am sure is true. It seems common sense that "reading" does not mean completing worksheets, yet teachers are more concerned with "managing" their students than finding them books that interest them, and facilitating reading.

Being able to decode words are a skill a students must understand how to do in order to improve their reading.

The students must have the skill to compare and contrast. The knowledge comes in when the student has to know the information that is needed to compare and contrast.

Knowledge--a student must be able to understand the story in order to describe the structure of a story.

the knowledge comes from being able to understand key details in a text while the skill comes from being able to ask questions and answer questions using the knowledge they have.

This is also important to keep in mind because fantasy is such a broad topic. It can be modified for different ages or be more serious or more funny. I think this could be a very powerful tool in the classroom.

These are all elements of very popular children's books! Important to keep in mind.

I believe this is true. It is interesting to think of fantasy as such a powerful genre. Once one element is added, it takes over the storyline. I think this is important to remember when having children write certain types of stories.

This was interesting to me becuase I feel most stories have multiple aspects of these elements. I think that is what makes some fantasy stories so fun to read for children. Fantasy novels can be like a break from the real world and the classroom setting.

I think this may be due to the fact many children's books seem to be more in the genre of fantasy due to talking animals and magical ideas. This can keep children's interest and encourage creativity in a new way.

I believe this is one of the first ways to really get children to enjoy reading. Some children describe this feeling as "a movie in your mind". Fantasy is a great way to explore and talk about this feeling.

I feel this can be so important to the overall benefits of teaching students what they enjoy. When a student is engaged and like what they are learning about, they are much more likely to participate and have fun doing so.

This seems to be one of the main goals of the common core. We are now so focused on moving to the next level of higher learning and career options even from younger grades. Higher education is becoming more of an option for more people.

I think these three factors provide a great visual to understand the different ways to measure a text. Each child may look for different aspects of a book when they are reading, and this can help us to see the different aspects of reading/evaluating a text that we can use.

This a great time to incorporate hand motions if the classroom allows it. Some teachers have hand waves for if students agree with another students share or if they wrote the same thing. This way, students are engaged and support one another's sharing time.

I remember for a brief period of time the elementary schools in my town were separated from k-2 and 3-5 instead of the usual k-5 students. This made it difficult for many students to adjust and there were many complaints from parents that students were not comfortable at school. Younger students did not have older students to support them as role models. The switching of schools were very hard on the children.

These types of problems can make discussion very difficult.I know it is important to establish a safe and respectful classroom environment from the beginning of the year, but if students change how they act when in groups, this could be a lot more difficult then expected.

The concept of adapting our practices is so important as teachers. I think looking over lessons and curriculum after a certain number of times preforming the same lesson could avoid outdated information. It could also help if a teacher develops a lesson specifically to each new class they are given.

I struggle with this even today. It's difficult to recognize right away, but by having supporting questions to back you up during the reading, you'll start to notice when the author is being biased. Sometimes it is subtle and other times the author seems to be quite yell-y.

It would be engaging for students to feel like the literature was addressing them individually and letting them in to their lives. Third person does not allow for much conversation, if any, with the reader. First person makes you feel seen and mutual.

Most of these topics were covered only during library sessions, and I would have appreciated it more during in class projects,

This is something that I wish I knew earlier in my education. I was the student who picked the first thing I saw on the subject and wrote everything about, having no idea if it was a real book or a post-it note.

Everything is a race. You need to be the first at everything and finish everything rather quickly. We forget that there is meaning in the 'answers'. They are not there just to memorize the words but to understand the meaning of the words behind it.

Real letters and dialogue make the writing become real and it may help the readers to connect to the situation in which they are reading about. By showing these inside of fictionalized biographies, it helps students see the difference in the texts.

It is necessary that all students can tell the differences between fiction and the actual time in history when something happened. This is something that some students may struggle with, but it is important as becoming a teacher to make sure you don't leave students behind.

This is true and it is a good way for students to truly see the difference between real life and not. When students can read historical information that is real, some of the time it is hard to believe just because of how bad things really were.

Reading outside the classroom is very important in child development. It helps children develop even when they are not inside the classroom. It helps students increase their reading skills as well as their vocab knowledge.

These "liberties" allow history to really come alive! It is necessary for authors to make engaging texts to lure readers into different subjects. Using dialogue and emotions can allow readers to feel how such person was feeling hundreds of years ago with just the scan of a page!

This is a really interesting point and a great discussion question. The idea of author bias is visible in all things from conversation to writing! Reading literature with a keen eye for such bias is necessary in developing successful readers.

Talking about the various perspectives of biographies leads to such a diverse discussion. Looking the the various perspectives such as the limited perspective could show that within just one genre their are many ways of approaching content.

These biographies are really fascinating to teach children. Without the fictional accounts of journals and other creative depictions these lives and stories would be completely lost. Reiterating to the class that the style and words are created, but the people and situations were real they can begin to grasp what the "biography" is about and who it represents.

Using diverse historical literature is so important to learning not only about people that have lived in the past but also in exploring the various genres that literature offers, I agree that teachers should make sure that their studetns know the difference between portraals and first hand accounts as that can get confusing when it all sounds "real".

This is a great opportunity for students to learn how to discern what is real-life versus ornamentation is. Learning how to know the difference is crucial in literature and provides students with a critical eye.

I never realized the accuracy of this statement until I read it... Interesting! After reading this, I definitely agree. On a similar point, I feel that children better connect with and understand information when it is relatable. With a child narrator, the story now becomes extremely relatable!

Yes, this is extraordinarily important. Even if the piece is fictional, students must be able to make concrete connections between the written material and the period in history. This will not only confirm their understanding of the time period or historical figure/event, but will also reinforce this knowledge.

I agree with this statement entirely! Journal entries by historical figures help young students better conceptualize the events and way of life that occurred in that time period. As for biographies, reading material that personally comes from the historical figure can seem like an intimate conversation between author and reader. Readers are thus able to make new connections to the material and may learn it better.

This statement is so relevant, even with students in college. Critical thinking skills should be addressed in literacy as early as Kindergarten and first grade. It is important to help our readers become the best readers they can possibly be. Educators should encourage young students to ask questions while reading and to reread texts. By doing this, students will be able to develop analytical skills that help them better understand the text and move on to more complex readings.

At a certain point in someone's life, they will have the ability to make their own decisions and believe what they would like to believe. It would be nice to for young students to be immersed into optionals rather only seeing one side of the story.

I do this on a daily basis.

In high school I took classes about Humanities and half of the course was on mythology of different cultures. It was interesting to see how cultures have evolved and worshiped their own particular stories. They truly believe these myths and that the way they act can change life in its entirety.

Myths were created for people to feel better about the unknown and other forces that made things come to be.

I like giving students an opportunity to see how the story could have changed if a character decided to do this or say this. It calls from problem solving and possible outcomes for the stories but also in the future.

Class discussions and sharing ideas and interpretations with one another can build more perspectives rather than just one.

Bloom's taxonomy was hardly even recognized when I asked non-education students on campus what it was. However, this way of thinking makes the information that we process much easier in organized compartments.

I am a peer mentor in our INQ courses at Southern and this is especially helpful for students who's academics have not introduced them to critical thinking.

We are able to decipher the text the through critical thinking to ultimately come up with a conclusion whether it be in paper or in our decisions.

I think this is a interesting point. Normally we learn the moral of the story is to not be dishonest but this time the moral is to not jump to conclusions.

I believe that it is the opposite. While it may be true that older children enjoy the "black and white" thinking it is only because they have grown up being taught that there is a right and a wrong answer. Young children enjoy being creative and they learn by using their imagination, that is why almost every preschool classroom has a dramatic play area for the children to use their imagination.

Spelling is definitely underrated these days and should have a comeback. People blame technology now-a-days for poor spelling, but even adults use shortcuts and I sometimes forget how to spell words when I do not rehearse them.

This would help as an organizational tool for students to write down the main ideas and key points the text was discussing.

By understanding different cultures, student can have a broader range and not only just their physical surroundings. It gives students the ability to learn where cultures' traditions come from and how they were started.

This could allow students to also reflect on their own feelings and recognize new words to associate the way they feel.

#knowledge The students are being asked to demonstrate their understanding of characters, setting, or plot. #skills The students do this by using information from the illustrations or digital text *#exemplars An example of this is "Madeline" by Ludwig Bemelmans because they can use the illustrations of the Eiffel Tower to demonstrate their knowledge of the characters being in France.

#knowledge The students are being asked to identify stories that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses#skill The students are identifying these feelings or senses by identifying key words or phrases within the story *#exemplar An example of this is "You Are My Sunshine" by Jimmie Davis

#knowledge The students are being asked to identify key details in the story. #skills The students do this by asking and answering questions #exemplars An example of this is Dr. Seuss's "Green Eggs and Ham" because the students can ask each other questions about the different people the main character encounters**

I used a similar technique helping a student who was not paying attention during sight words. She wasn't able to memorize the whole word and phonics helped her to sound out the words on the sheet.

It was especially helpful to stay engaged in a story, when teachers added 'personality' into their reading. At times when I would drift away from the reading, a change of tone or a drawn out word would bring me back.

At my elementary school, phonics was my favorite subject. Because the workbooks had pictures and highlighted letters, I was able to follow along and pronounce each syllable to create new words.

During my field observation the teacher I was working with did guided practice throughout the school day. It allows the students to view how something is done and not get too frustrated in the process later on.

Collaboration and bouncing off ideas with one another can draw out any kinks or misunderstandings a story may have that the writer did not recognize before.

Themes would be helpful to keep a child on track when creating their own story. Not all stories have specific themes, but when it does have one, following along with them keeps the story flowing.

I think illustration as a form of preplanning is going into my list of teacher tasks for my younger students. This would be especially helpful for less stressful writing word after word right away. But instead, having a picture to remind you what you wanted to say.

Decoding skills for younger children are essential to properly understand and write as they grow older so I appreciated being done during these sessions.

It allows for a more motivation to want to learn new things when they have the opportunity to chose what they would want to involve themselves in,

Students would not only be immersed into the literature but also with each other. (minus the abusing one another)

Some students may not be accustomed to other peoples lifestyles and do not recognize the differences among their peers.

This opens the doors to poetry at a much younger age and can be built into appreciation when older. Or at least, understanding and recognizing.

There are only so many words to rhyme with that sometimes you will lose the essence of what you wanted to write to begin with.

Poetry is the stepping stone from any barrier that may be in our way. It expresses tone and emotion the way we see fit and how we went others to feel.

Students could extend the workshop by having their journal throughout the day and jotting down things that they have "feelings" about. It would be interesting to see what they would come up with through their everyday experiences.

Students have the ability to interpret a poem in any way that they chose. They can manipulate pauses and flows of the poems to add emphasis to where it is needed.

Poetry has a fluidity to it that allows students to express themselves in their own voices that is different from narratives. Poetry is read in their own voice but has the power to resonate with someone else.

Students feel less along with issues or problems they are not comfortable talking about. Literature opens the doors to being able understand someone else's views and ideas without judgement. With contemporary books, students can finally feel heard or accepted.

Yes to all of this and the line previous. By going through different (non-terrifying) scenarios, students could brainstorm plans that could be useful for their current or future lives.

Literacy is rapidly changing and so is the curriculum. It is difficult to keep up at times, but it is extremely beneficial for the students who are currently facing struggles early on in their lives.

This point would probably concern many teachers. However, how is a student supposed to understand a story that he has never been exposed to.

I love that this experience was so positive for these students as well as the researcher. This just proves that meeting students where they are, even if you need to modify things a bit, is totally worth it because they benefit so much from it.

I love that this teacher was able to find books that her students could actually relate to. If students have a difficult time understanding stories, it helps to provide them with books that are about things that they have experienced personally. Understanding literature is so important and we need to help our students accomplish this.

If students are not engaged in lessons teachers need to modify their approaches so that students are engaged. The job of educators is to teach children and this cannot be done if we ignore the fact that they are not taking in any of the skills we are trying to teach them. Learning can be fun, and when it is students are able to gain so much more knowledge.

There are always going to be students who find required reading material uninteresting. As educators we need to provide alternatives for these students that teach them the same skills as the other readings, but in a way that they can enjoy and relate to. Teaching is abut meeting the needs of students, and sometimes that requires being flexible with required materials.

This student's comment shows why it is so important to provide reading for your students that they can connect to. If a student feels like he/she cannot relate to a story it will be very difficult for him/her to stay engaged in the reading.

After taking action in their community, the teacher can have the students reflect on how the book inspired them to do something, thus emphasizing the importance of literature.

The fact that these young men felt the need to take action in their community because of a book is inspiring. Realistic fiction novels can be a good tool in connecting literature with the outside world.

Realistic fiction can be used to teach students critical reading and to not blindly believe everything listed in a text.

Literature is a great way to open discussions about elements of society that may feel uncomfortable to talk about otherwise. Some examples could be racism and economic division.

A students ability to relate to a story greatly affects their opinion of it. If students are able to build an emotional connection to a text they become much more interested and willing to have discussions based around the text.

Not all books appeal to all readers in the same way. This is why there should be a variety of genres when selecting books for the classroom.

This is a great point that children's literature can be used for more than just making connections to the child's own life. It can also be used to show these children that they are able to be part of the change they want to see.

This is such creative idea for a teacher to allow happen. If a group of students do not wholly care about what they are learning or do not find the meaning in it, allow that group to take on a different perspective and find their own meaning.

Literature as a whole provides a sort of third party view of experiences and events. In class the other day, Dr. Marx said, "reading is like magic, you get to read the words of somebody you may never meet". This really struck me and I instantly thought of it when I read this sentence. When you read something by someone you don't know, it shows how there is a world around you in which people do see the struggles and tribulations you are going through in your world. It brings to light for people that their trials are not only theirs, but instead shared by others, and there is something really powerful in that because people begin to see that they are not alone.

This is very true, especially at the college level. As an English minor, I know from my higher level classes that when I admitted that I had not read some classics, I was often met with the response, "How could you NOT have read that!" This made me more hesitant to share my opinions because I did not feel that my reading portfolio was comparable to my peers, and therefore my opinion was less important.

The fact that the author of this article included this detail about themselves really struck me and I couldn't pass by without annotating it. This may be because I just completed Dr. Marx's class in which we discussed how the vast majority of educators are white females, reading from the point of view of someone who is considered a minority in the field of education really piques my interest.

This is one of my greatest fears as a teacher. I know it is inevitable that students are not going to enjoy every single aspect that they are taught, but I am concerned that students will become so out of touch with the material that they will cause themselves to fail.

Every student will be more or less engaged with certain stories. It is so important to efficiently lesson plan in order to fit the children needs and find a way of engaging the students even if the topic of study is not as exciting. Putting the children in working partners or groups in order to share ideas can help with this.

it is important to use the social realities of children's lives in order to differentiate, facilitate and create a better and more efficient way of teaching.

I like the idea that students can relate what they are learning to their own lives. This personal connection can help them focus more and be more excited to learn. When readers learn to make personal connections once, they will continue to do so in their future reading.

I agree with this. I think students should have the opportunity to share and compare their findings with their peers. I have realized even as a college student I still learn a lot that way. When peers talk and share with each other about what they are learning, it is more likely it will stick with them and keep them better engaged.

I agree with this as I focused on these two stories when I was in elementary school. I think children should be opened to more stories that are not so common in the curriculum in order for better engagement.

I think this activity is absolutely amazing. You can see how reading meaningful literature created a whole new world of understanding and deep thinking for these students.

This is absolutely incredible. What a teachable moment this must have been. Here, it is evident that the readers are further developing their critical thinking skills by asking deep questions relevant to the issues in the text as they appear within society.

I think this is an important part of this reading. Reading becomes more comprehensible as the readers can infer about the issues the characters are facing.

Just reading this paragraph makes me smile. It is so wonderful to learn how reading can have such a positive impact on these students' lives. Simply within this paragraph, I can gather that these students are creating connections with the reading and the learning is being associated as an enjoyable process.

This is an awesome thematic concept for fostering perspective taking skills and analytical thinking skills.

I think this is a strong point that should be taken note of. It is critical to keep students involved and focused in learning material, especially when it concerns literacy. It is important to provide all students with material that is appropriate for their learning. If it is meaningful, students can grow intellectually.

While classic fairy tales and other sources of literature can still hold strong meaning within literature lessons in early childhood classrooms, I do agree that more contemporary themes need to be transcended in literautre throughout the elementary, middle, and high school years as the reader's abilities are developing and social interactions are changing. Moreover, themes in literature should be meaningful to the reader as he/she grows in school.

All of these things are so important for students to experience. Now that these boys have had these opportunities and have been able to relate to literature like this they will hopefully have a more open opinion when it comes to future readings than the boy did when reading Little Red Riding Hood as mentioned at the beginning of this article.

This is another really great point. Reading the responses of these boys about the unit they had been working on was truly eye opening. It's amazing how literature could open doors to young students about an issue as large as drugs.

This is a great way to show the importance of student engagement during the lesson. These boys are now taking what they are reading and making it real and making it mean something. Now they have the ability to use books and reading as a form of help should they ever need to, and sometimes that is the best form of comforting when things are rough.

This is such an important part of reading develop and I believe was overlooked by many teachers for a long time. I think now with one of the Daily 5 rounds being read with someone, students are gaining a lot in this area.

Although not entirely related, this process is so amazing to watch. I've had the privilege of watching first graders this semester transition from reading fiction to nonfiction, and watching them develop these skills was something incredible. I'm sure this author was in awe when these boys made this progress.

Having this explanation here before the author begins explaining the results of her study is beneficial to have as a reader.

This is a great way to encourage both strengthening of literacy skills and engagement. I could see this strategy working very well in a classroom.

I think this is a great point brought up by the author. I see and hear about this often, but not necessarily in my current field placement. This is sadly the real deal in classrooms, and does need to be changed.

This can be true for so many aspects of the academic world for students. Not only in terms of literature but everything we would teach in the classroom as teachers. If students aren't able to relate to the material on any level at all, then there is no sense in teaching because trying to teach without student engagement is not effective or an easy task.

These would be especially helpful for art projects and creating more crafty activities.!

Illustrations helps students who may not understand the text and have a difficulty picking up on cues within the text. Illustrations can be viewed along side text for students to interpret the words printed on the paper.

Picture books are literally works of art that tell a story. The mood can change with warm colors and cool colors. If a book has a fun and cheery the color and facial expressions of characters can really emphasize.

Preach.

Although older students may think that fairy tales are too babyish for them to read, as they mature into adulthood these stories can help them to work through the new and confusing situations that they may be faced with.

Requiring students to make connections between the texts that they read will help them to develop a deeper understanding of the stories that they read because they will have to think critically about the language used, the way in which messages are presented, and other factors of stories that are often over looked.

It is important to explain the difference between genres to students so that they fully understand the unique characteristics of all of the different types of literature. I feel like I was never fully taught what makes a a fairy tale different than a legend until after I was already in high school. Students should learn these differences at a young age so that when they pick a book to read they know what genre it belongs to.

It is imperative that students are given the opportunity to use their critical thinking skills as frequently as possible so that it becomes second nature to them. This is a skill that they are going to need to master in order to succeed in academics and ultimately in life. What better way to help them practice this than by comparing different versions of the fairy tales that they know and love?

I have never thought of fairy tales as providing this for students, but it is so true. All fairy tales have very simple lessons that children can understand and apply to their own lives.

Choice is so important for tweens who really enjoy freedom! Giving them the opportunity to engage in their own learning and deside for themeselves which version they want to read could make them want to engage much more.

This is so interesting to me! I never thought that someone could bring in a feminist view to a usually younger audience text! this could be a great discussion on writers craft and how authors can use stories to represent their beliefs.

Looking at the same tales from different perspectives or cultures could also prove to be very interesting. Having children look at the cultural similarities and differences on pieces is a great way to bring in some multicultural learning as well. I like that this text offers multiple version ideas.

All of these lessons can be tailored very well to the CCSS which really shows the quality of these unit. I like that it shows the various topics that can be discussed in depth with the tweens.

I like that this article provides some specific learning outcomes that can be learned through this fantasy book discussion. Making connections between texts and character analysis stated above is crucial in any learning process. I agree with this layout.

It is so important for teachers to help students not loose their imagination and creativity. I have seen this decline first hand especially as tweens start to become teenagers. It is important that the teacher leaves room for fantasy in lesson design and curriculum development!

Because children think "black and white" these myths allow literature to really be explored and make sense to students! I agree that students are very moral so looking at this literature from different perspectives such as that of the student is helpful.

A student can read text a certain point in time and then, come back to it years later, and interpret that text differently. I believe in this perspective and the possibility of recognizing growth and change when reading texts.

Teachers, much like students, learn and interpret different meanings to various contexts. Teachers can feel restricted and unmotivated to teach these lessons and cause the students not to retain the proper information.

Students can bounce ideas and thoughts with each other. They would be able to explain a scenario with another student who might not completely understand the text. Student would make the text come alive with their personal stories and building a community within their classroom.

This.

People are most likely going to succeed together, if they come together. Even at a young age, if something is relatable or attractive, you are most likely going to excel in that rather than something you do not understand.

Young children are still trying to express themselves. They have not experienced life enough to be able to share their exact feelings and emotions. Literacy can help them with this and help their peers understand differences in their surroundings.

I chose this for my participation task, and loved the idea of changing the 'sound' of text is presented. It also allows the students to better recognize which characters are speaking or narrating.

This is especially so when reading plays or dramas, or any text that has specific cues. This allows the student to interpret the text in various ways to view it in a different light.

This can allow students to fully immerse themselves in language that is just written on the paper. Students can interpret the language differently than another student and this can lead to a more exploratory approach to different words.

Students will be able to reach out to other sources to better understand a problem or situation. A student could recognize a solution in one story that the other story may have been unclear.

Having students make this connection will help them realize the importance of myths in today's society. Often times students disregard things that they think are not relevant today because they are so old, but when a connection can be made it helps them to think about these things differently.

This is no excuse. There are ways that myths can be incorporated into present units it just takes creativity and time. A good teacher provides meaningful instruction to students no matter how difficult that may be.

This exercise will help to ensure that students actually understand what they read. I have always found that the best way to measure your understanding of something is to teach it to someone else.

It is absolutely necessary for students to learn about different cultures and how they interpret different phenomenons of the world. Today's society is so diverse, yet many of our schools fail to incorporate different cultures into instruction. Mythology is a great way to do this.

I definitely believe that mythology is not taught enough in schools. I never learned about mythology in elementary school. The only reason that I know anything about it is because my mother is an educator and was constantly reading different genres of literature to me as a child. This lack of instruction is going to become a viscous circle if teachers do not start incorporating mythology into their literature lessons. The only way to become comfortable with a genre is if you are exposed to it.

Having students make connections to the different lessons they are taught is a great way to have the students participate. This also helps students see similarities between different things. I like how they can make connections between Greek and the present world.

I like the idea that the students are sharing their work/findings to the class. More classrooms need to be open and have the students collaborating with one another, instead of teachers just lecturing.

Students should know that there are different ways in which a story could be told. Also, students should know that even though stories have been around for years, doesn't mean they can't be told.

I don't agree that mythology is long-dead stories. Even thought these stories may not be "real" there is still some type of idea that students will walk away with.

This is a very interesting way to go about teaching myths (by making the children learn and teach it). This allowed students to be very engaged in the learning process as well as work on presentation and research skills. I really like that they also make worksheets and used aids. I agree with this method of instruction.

Looking holistically at the benefits of engaging with different types of literature it is crucial to introduce the and learn about the various archetypes that occur in literature and the differences between such pieces.

I agree! It is so easy to "other" cultures that are not our own, and the classroom can prove to be a bridge of cultures when it is shown that the country/people might be different but the stories/nature of humanity is not.

Folk tales and mythological literature have and always will play an important role in our culture, not to mention the fruitful discussions on writers craft that always can take place, they are so important for students to learn.

I completely agree with this statement. I feel as if teachers do not have alternatives for students who are not comfortable with the text choices and that is not right or fare to that student. Students should all receive a great education, and something simple as giving them a different text would change the world for them. Also, I think if more teachers would have alternatives, then more students would enjoy the learning.

A lot of people love Harry Potter and the stories that have been made, however there are other people, like me, who find it hard to understand. Also, some people may just not be interesting in fantasy's such as Harry Potter.

I do believe that fantasy and science fiction books do provide for students to come up with their own moral thought, however, from other students it may be hard to come up with a moral.

I think that this is an interesting thought added to this article. From experience, reading about something similar to what you are going through, can be a little scary. Some students are able to read it and not link to it, but other students may have a hard time reading that material depending on whats going on in their lives.

It was clear to me that this folk tale genre had provided the class with a concise structure and enjoyable motivation for their pieces

By giving students different examples of something you expect them to do, it will help get their minds moving and them thinking towards what they need to do.

Students who were more advanced in language development were often on target with the moral Aesop had intended.

After reading different Aesop fables, the morals for some of them were easy to figure out. For some of the other fables, they were not as easy. I think its great that students can figure out a moral to a fable without a teacher telling the students what it is.

the original fables and a modern version. That way, the students would have a broader view of the genre.

I think that when teachers use different views of something, it defiantly does help students have a broader view on something. I think that this is a great thing to do through fables.

This is a large downfall of this type of reading. I still even now have a hard time deciphering what is a bias and what is not when reading historical content.

This is a really great point about one of the disadvantages to learning history content in this sort of way. This combined with some "textbook" readings could and probably does make for a balanced and great social studies curriculum.

This is a great way to bring readers into terms with the fictional aspects. I have never thought of this, or done it as a student.