by Megan McCaffrey & Katy Hisrich
Learning does not stop once a story is read. A story should be read multiple times in order to know the story well. Learning experiences can and should go beyond the pages of a book. Whatever concepts, ideas, language, illustrations and so on should be further explored in order to deepen understandings. There are many ways to extend learning. Continue reading
by Megan McCaffrey & Katy Hisrich
Good Read Alouds do not just happen by chance, they are created through conscientious planning. Research shows there are specific qualities of a read aloud necessary in order to optimize the effectiveness of the activity. Continue reading
by Melissa Summer Wells, Julia López-Robertson, and Gina Crosby-Quinatoa, University of South Carolina
Will the words end, I ask
whenever I remember to.
Nope, my sister says, all of five years old now,
and promising me/infinity. (p. 62-63)
Our next stop on our tour of young protagonists searching for their places in the world brings us to Jacqueline Woodson, protagonist Continue reading
by Gina Crosby-Quinatoa, Julia López-Robertson, and Melissa Summer Wells, University of South Carolina
On March 2, 2000, he goes to his grandmother Agueda’s house. He stands on the same porch that his mother disappeared from eleven years before. He hugs Maria Isabel and Aunt Rosa Amalia. Then he steps off.
(p. 50)
This week we introduce you to Enrique Continue reading
By Angeline P. Hoffman, White Mountain Apache Reservation
Stories of Indigenous people matter, the stories influence how we think about ourselves, where we come from and formulate the way in which we think about cultural perspectives and people.
In looking at storytelling, a sub-theme emerged: ethics and teaching. These specific ideas are utilized by storytellers’ characters to convey these particular values. Teaching is very important in today’s Native American society. Teaching of traditions, cultures and sense of place are practices that are passed on through Continue reading
By Angeline P. Hoffman, White Mountain Apache Reservation
Stories of Indigenous people matter. The stories influence how we think about ourselves, where we come from and formulate the way in which we think about cultural perspectives and people.
In Indigenous culture children emerge with clearly delineated, gender-specific roles, much like the distinct roles of adults. Continue reading
By Angeline P. Hoffman, White Mountain Apache Reservation
Stories of Indigenous people matter because these stories influence how we think about ourselves, where we come from, and help formulate the way in which we think about our own cultural perspectives and people.
A topic emerging from our culture includes the significant cultural roles represented within our communities and families. Elders play a critical role within Indigenous communities. One of the unique ways American Indian people obtain knowledge is through the direct teaching of elders. Continue reading
By Angeline Hoffman, White Mountain Apache Reservation
Stories of the Indigenous people matter, because the stories influences how we think about ourselves, where we come from and formulates the way in which we think about cultural perspectives and people.
The one element inherent in Stories Matter is Storytelling. Storytelling, in Indigenous narratives, involves the origins of identity, knowledge systems, and ways of knowing and being, Continue reading
by Deborah Dimmett, University of Arizona
It has often been debated just how much children’s literature is intended for an adult audience to the same extent it is for children. We know from our own experiences with picturebooks that there are some interesting subtleties in the story and the illustrations that hail the adult reader.
A recently released picture book, Little Bird’s Bad Word (2015) by Jacob Grant, is an example of a picturebook that is definitely aimed at both children (ages 3-7) and the adults who read with/to them. Continue reading
by Jeanne Henry, Hofstra University & Keriann Boorum, freelance ASL/English interpreter, Hofstra University
While a handful of YA authors have written about or at least included Deaf characters, Deaf teens remain underrepresented in YA literature. Unfortunately, the depictions that do exist are not as accurate as teachers might like, which serves neither the Deaf nor hearing communities. If hundreds of YA authors were suddenly inspired to depict Deaf teens, both so that these teens might see themselves in the pages of books and so hearing teens could learn a thing or two about Deaf people, they would encounter an immediate challenge: Continue reading