Children’s Literature

Children’s Literature

1. Put yourself in the place of a preschool director who is following the guidelines and recommendations for using literature with young children that are included in this week’s Learning Resources. Write a brief statement that explains what you want parents and other family members to know about why and how children’s books are used in your program to promote early literacy. Include research from the reading to support your reasoning.

Children literal skills of listening, talking, reading and writing should be enhanced in order to boost higher learning. This is because children with difficulties in reading skills have little acquaintance about letters. In addition, these children will have challenges in knowing that speech sounds have divergence in their meaning. The reason as to why these books are used is to familiarize the children with reading techniques. These techniques are important in helping a child to distinguish between the present with the future during the process of reading. This ability is vital to a child because he or she will be exposed to modern changes in the English language. These books are important because they help in giving general knowledge about the language at an early age. Children who have excellent reading skills have easy ability to comprehend letters and alphabets. In addition, they have the capability to apply background knowledge to derive meaning from writing. These books will also help them to identify English vocabularies and develop fluency in reading.

“These books are read to the child daily in order to familiarize them with English words” (Morrow, L. M., Freitag, E., Gambrell, L. B., Morrow, L. M., & International Reading Association. 2009). The books are also divided into age categories in order to suit different levels of learning. This partition is important because each child has a different level of perception and thus we cannot rate the level of understanding of children to be equal. Through this way, we develop a routine that will enable the children to read and understand different levels of literal works. The phonological knowledge in the child is important because the child will know how rhyming scheme is essential in deriving meaning of words. In addition, the child will be able to know the relationship that exists between sound and English symbols. The books will also enrich the child with words and letters that will enhance understanding. Using charts and labels, the child will be kept in an environment where learning is emphasized. In promoting these skills, the child is provided with provision for drawing and thus it will provide training for writing.

2. Review the section on English-language learners on pages 7–9 of Using Children’s Literature in Preschool to Develop Comprehension. Choose one strategy recommended for all children, including English-language learners. Then choose a familiar story—such as The Three Little Pigs or another common folk tale—and explain how you would use this story and the strategy with a group of preschoolers that includes at least one child who is learning English. Cite the Learning Resources you used as references

The strategy of retelling a story is applicable to develop children comprehension skills. In the process of retelling the story, the child should be able to identify the main characters in the story. These are the characters who dominate the story and thus “they elaborate the theme throughout the story” (Kettel & Douglas, 2003). The child should be able to describe the setting through which the story took place. This setting involves the environment and the other characters that were involved in the story. In addition, the child should be able to report the events in a chronological order. This pertain the plot of the story from the beginning to the last event of the story. This activity should include the stages and change of themes that occur during the story. The main theme or the problem in the story should be identified in conjunction with the declaration. This involves a clear explanation regarding the resolution of the main theme of the story. In this story, the child should be able to express her feeling in the story and be able to relate it with another story of life. Lastly, the child should identify the preferred personality and the favorite scenes in the story.

In retelling the story about the Three Little Pigs, I will require the children to be quiet in order to answer the questions at the end. This caution will enable the child to pay attention to every bit of the story in order to answer the question correctly. The first question will need the child to identify, “were the pigs were good or horrific?” In the second question I will ask, “Was the wolf horrific?” This question will help the child to know the character of the wolf. The third question will be, “Can you trust a pig?” This question will be followed by the forth question; “where did the pig acquire the bricks?” Lastly, the child should be able to answer the question, “was is it the wind that destroyed the house?” This question helps the child to understand the story and thus having comprehension skills.

3. In your own words, explain the terms comprehension and fluency and how they apply to young children’s literacy development. Then briefly describe how to use children’s literature to develop preschoolers’ comprehension and fluency in age-appropriate ways. Cite evidence from the Learning Resources to support your answer.

Comprehension is the process that involves extorting and building ideas from writing. Comprehension entails the reader, the text and the targeted activity of reading. The reader should have the ability and capacity to memorize, to see and have self-motivation. Through these abilities, the reader will be able to determine the theme of the comprehension. Comprehension skills involve the ability to compare and contrast the ability to establish the cause effect, identify the patterns and the sequence of events. On the other hand, fluency is the capacity to read words precisely and quickly.

“Comprehension and fluency are developed gradually by exposing a child to many reading materials” (Roberts & Hill, 2003). This is done by the child memorizing some texts in the story that he or she is reading. It is important also to help the child to memorize texts familiar to him or her. In addition, the child through memorizing will identify the rhythm of the language. The use of dancing motions will make the exercise more enjoyable and thus language will be enhanced.

 

 

References

Kettel, R. P., & Douglas, N. L. (September 01, 2003). Comprehending Multiple Texts: A Theme Approach Incorporating the Best of Children’s Literature. Voices from the Middle, 11, 1, 43-49.

Morrow, L. M., Freitag, E., Gambrell, L. B., Morrow, L. M., & International Reading Association. (2009). Using children’s literature in preschool to develop comprehension: Understanding and enjoying books. Newark, Del: International Reading Association.

Roberts, L. C., & Hill, H. T. (March 01, 2003). Come and Listen to a Story about a Girl Named Rex: Using Children’s Literature To Debunk Gender Stereotypes. Young Children, 58, 2, 39-42.