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Links to online
articles related to children's literature,
the promotion of reading, literacy
development and the integration of
new technologies into the literature
classroom.
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Country:
United States of America
Author: Assembly
on Literature for Adolescents,
a special interest group
of the National Council
of Teachers of English
Phase of Development:
Teacher Reference for
Early to Late Adolescence. |
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The ALAN
Review contains articles about
young adult literature, strategies
for incorporating it into the classroom,
insightful interviews with authors,
reports of publishing trends, current
research and reviews of young adult
literature. Although there is an American
bias, Australian teachers will recognise
many of authors and book titles discussed.
Issues raised in the majority of articles
also have relevance to Australian
schools as indicated by the following
article titles from ALAN Review:
See also:
Pamela Sissi Carroll, The YA Scene
in the USA: Writers' Words and Works,
In Viewpoint 8 (4) Summer 2000.
pp 14-17.
Pamela Sissi Carroll is the editor
of ALAN Review. She
provides an overview of the journal
for Australian readers, lists quotable
quotes from 13 notable American writers
to inspire teenage and adult writers,
and presents a brief introduction
to five, recent, award-winning American
novels.
This concise
article is one of many useful papers
located on Pathways to School Improvement,
an American website for teachers.
The paper describes the perennial
debate on how best to teach children
to read. The conclusion is that neither
the phonics / phonemic awareness approach,
nor the whole language approach, alone,
is successful. Rather it is important
to use a balanced approach incorporating
skills-based instruction and whole
language together with plenty of time
for children to read, to be read
to and to write.
This paper also contains a review
of the literature, a bibliography
and links to Internet resources.
Author: Rosamund
Else-Mitchell
Publication:
Pen 117, Primary
English Teaching Association
Phase of Development:
Teacher Reference for
Middle Childhood to Early
Adolescence |
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This eight-page
paper provides teachers with a rationale
for using the Internet in literature
classrooms, practical suggestions
on how to begin to integrate technology
and literacy outcomes, ideas for student
activities and useful literature related
web addresses for teachers and students.
NOTE:
This Pen article is not easy
to find on the PETA site. From
the PETA home page follow this
path : Projects - Literature
Circles - Pen 117
Country: USA
Author: Laura Candler,
teacher E. E. Miller Elementary
School
Phase of
Development: Teacher
Reference for Early Childhood
to Late Adolescence |
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A strong advocate
of cooperative learning Laura Chandler
provides a comprehensive step-by-step
guide to implementing Literature Circles
in the classroom. She includes management
ideas, sample proformas, reading response
questions and graphic organisers.
Suggestions are easily adapted to
cater for student needs at all phases
of development.
Country: USA
Author: Jan Zeiger
Website: Teachers.Net
Gazette
Phase
of Development: Teacher
Reference for Early Childhood
to Late Adolescence |
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An American
primary school teacher shares her
experiences of Literature Circles
in her classroom. She describes how
she manages the groups, the roles
students in each group are allocated,
the teacher's role as facilator and
her reasons for using this learning
strategy. Note in particular, the
learning outcomes that students are
able to develop through participation
in this activity.
Country: USA
Sponsored by: Walloon
Institute, a summer retreat
for educators;
and by Stenhouse publishers
Phase of Development:
Teacher Reference for
Early Childhood to Late
Adolescence |
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Containing
teacher and student pages this site
provides a clear, easy-to-read and
concise definition of Literature Circles,
a summary of recent research showing
how Literature Circles can help to
improve student achievement, classroom
management ideas, articles about Literature
Circles and links to reviews of recommended
books.
The student pages contain student
reviews to read and the opportunity
for students to submit reviews. While
Australian teachers would need to
supplement the reading lists with
Australian titles the background information
is pertinent to all.
Country:
USA
Author:
Mary Daniels Brown
Website: Education
World
Phase
of Development: Teacher
Reference for Early Childhood
to Late Adolescence |
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Two experts
in the use of Literature Circles in
school settings offer insight, advice
and useful links in this motivating
article found on Education World.
They define what is meant by Literature
Circles and discuss:
- Roles that may
be assigned to students in the
group.
- The teacher's role.
- Grouping according
to reading ability?
- An appropriate
strategy for reluctant or less
able readers?
- Effectiveness
with reluctant and less-able readers.
This is essential
reading for those unfamiliar with
this learning and teaching strategy.
Country:
USA
Author:
School of Education Seattle
University
Phase
of Development: Teacher
Reference for Early Childhood
to Early Adolescence |
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Aimed at primary
and Middle School, this useful site
provides teachers with background
information on the use and structure
of Literature Circles and practical
advice on classroom implementation.
It includes a teacher discussion group
for those wanting to share their experiences
or ask questions from others using
this strategy with their students.
Country:
Canada
Author:
Maureen Barron, Multimedia
administrator, English
Montreal School Board.
[Former elementary teacher]
Publication: Reading
Online, journal of
the International Reading
Association
Phase
of Development: Teacher
Reference for Early Childhood
Note: Adaptable
for other Phases of Development |
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Located on
Reading Online the site of
the International Reading Association,
this article is relevant to Western
Australian teachers. It is based on
sound educational rationale and provides
practical strategies that are relatively
easy to implement and adapt.
This project of the English Montreal
School Board is designed to to assist
Canadian teachers to implement curriculum
reform. The new emphasis is on helping
students to learn how to learn and
to integrate and apply knowledge.
Teaching is student-centred and classroom
strategies include cooperative learning
and the use of multiple intelligences.
Western Australian teachers will find
this approach fits in well with The
Curriculum Framework and outcomes
focused education.
The project's primary objectives were:
- To develop student's
language, communication, and technology
capacities and abilities
- To develop students'
critical thinking abilities in
terms of media presentation of
a document ( in this case, a book)
- To create a
student-centred Web site appropriate
for grade 2 students
The article is
comprehensive, covering project context,
participants, goals and objectives,
planning, classroom strategies, outcomes
and summary, and a link to the childrens'
book reviews on their website.
Country:
Australia
Author: Judith Way, Mill Park Secondary College
(Vic)
Publication: Paper presented at the joint
International Association of School Librarianship
and the School Library Association, held in Dublin,
Republic of Ireland, 17-20 June 2004.
Phase of Development: Teacher Reference
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Judith Way, Coordinator of Library Resources
at Mill Park Secondary College in Victoria presented this paper
at the joint IASL/SLA conference in June 2004. It can be accessed
on the EdNA site from Teacher Librarians - Books and Reading
pages.
Judith maintains that while celebrating Book Week is important,
it is imperative to make reading an ingrained part of the school
culture to improve students' learning outcomes and enrich their
lives. Her aim is to make books and reading as accepted and
exciting, in her school, as sport.
This paper outlines the strategies Judith and her colleagues
have implemented at Mill Park Secondary College to raise the
profile of reading among staff, parents and students .
Author:
Rosamund Else-Mitchell
Publication:
Pen 117, Primary English Teaching Association
Phase of Development: Teacher Reference for
Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence |
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This eight-page paper provides teachers
with a rationale for using the Internet in literature classrooms,
practical suggestions on how to begin to integrate technology
and literacy outcomes, ideas for student activities and useful
literature related web addresses for teachers and students.
NOTE: This Pen
article is not easy to find on the PETA site. From
the PETA home page follow this path : Projects
- Literature Circles - Pen 117
Country:
USA
Author:
Anne Guignon, 2002
Website: Education
World
Phase of
Development: Teacher
Reference Early Adolescence
to Late Adolescence |
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I retain vivid
memories of my English teacher in
Year 10 reading aloud with great enthusiasm
and expression, captivating his students
with Austen, Dickens Tolstoy and other
great writers, successfully encouraging
many of us to sample these classics
ourselves.
Anne Guignon in an easy-to-read article
provides reasons for continuing to
read aloud to students at secondary
and tertiary levels.
Author: International
Reading Association
Phase of Development:
Teacher Reference for
Early Childhood to Late
Adolescence |
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Reading
Online is an electronic journal
of K-12 practice and research, published
by the International Reading Association.
The editors are experts in the areas
of language, literacy and teacher
education. Members of the Editorial
Review Board, while mostly from the
USA, include professionals from a
range of countries including Australia.
Content covers information about traditional
print literacy and the 'new literacies'
such as visual literacy, critical
literacy and digital literacy.
Aimed at educators, Reading Online
is an important reference for anyone
interested in keeping in touch with
developments worldwide, in the field
of literacy and technology education.
The site is divided into 6 main sections:
- Articles
- by literacy professionals, include
short features, book reviews,
links to research abstracts
- From the
Editors - a monthly feature
- The Electronic
Classroom - ideas and
information about applying technology
in literacy instruction
- International
Perspectives - practice
& research from literacy leaders
worldwide
- New Literacies
- media literacy, critical literacy,
visual literacy
- Online Communities
- join in conversation about literacy
and technology
For those engaged
in the promotion of children's and
young adult literature there are a
number of relevant titles worth reading,
for example:
- Electronic
Collaboration: Children's Literature
in the Classroom
by Denise Johnson, University
of Central Arkansas
- Matilda:
Finland's Telematic Literature
Project
by Larry Miller, Professor Faculty
of Education, Queens University,
Canada
- Strangers
in Strange Lands: Exploring Cultural
Identity in Realistic Fiction
for Young Adults
by Adrienne Clarke, Coordinator
Educational Programming, Queens
University, Canada and Larry Miller,
Professor Faculty of Education,
Queens University, Canada
- New
Literacies in Action - Literature
Circles [This
article is reviewed above]
Country:
USA
Author:
Professor John Shefelbine,
California State University
Website: Scholastic:
Scholastic Center for
Literacy and Learning
Phase of Development:
Teacher Reference for
Early Childhood to Late
Adolescence |
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Professor
John Shefelbine, while not advocating
the reading of fiction in particular
does present a solid argument for
encouraging students to read a lot
and to read widely in order to improve
their academic success and career
choices.
Country:
USA
Author:
Annette Lamb and Nancy
R. Smith
Website:
Eduscapes
Phase
of Development: Teacher
Reference for Early Childhood
to Late Adolescence |
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This is another
concise article defining Literature
Circles and their value as a learning
strategy. Particularly useful are
the sections describing the roles
assigned to circle members, technology-rich
literature circles, and the links
to other sites and articles.
Author:
Australian Centre for
Youth Literature, 2001
SCIS No: 1047800
Phase of Development:
Teacher Reference for
Middle Childhood to Late
Adolescence |
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The reading
habits, experiences and attitudes
of 10-18 year olds were investigated
in this report released in April 2001.
Some of the findings were:
- 74% of all 10-18
year olds claim to like reading
to some extent;
- 76% of primary
and 46% of secondary students
read 'every few days';
- 78% of secondary
students found required reading
at school 'boring'; fewer than
20% of the target group consider
their school or public libraries
inviting or able to meet their
recreational reading needs.
Download the complete
report in PDF version or print off
an order form to purchase a hard copy
from The Australian Centre of Youth
Literature site above.
See also Professor Adrian F. Ashman's
thought-provoking critique of this
report, which should stimulate lively
debate. It is in the July 2001 edition
of Magpies magazine. For information
about Magpies go to:
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