Literature is a HUGE focus right now in my field and is used every single day in the classroom. Each week the IB planner comes into the classroom with a new book that represents some characteristic that makes a "good, rounded, human being," like being principled (which means to follow to the rules, be respectful...) She then reads the book and the students pick out certain characteristics that character embodied and how they did. For example, in one book the person was using teamwork to help build another house in the village. The students all go around and explain their reasoning and at some points even make connections to their own lives, which would connect to the Langer reading of "being in and stepping out." The students will say "hey I used teamwork today and helped my friend clean up the mess," and it is so amazing to see the students making connections. The students in m classroom are always so excited for book time and the school offers so many opportunities for the children to read. What my classroom is doing now with literature, I think is so beneficial for the students and I couldn't think of a better way to incorporate literature into the classroom.
Julia, literature is also a huge part of my classroom! My teacher stresses the importance constantly to me when I come in. The children do several things throughout the day that practice reading, test their reading skills, and integrate literacy. Your classroom sounds bit different then mine, with the IB planner and what the children say to integrate literacy aspect. Sound interesting! I was kind of confused at that part of the reading in Langer, but I think your connection made me understand what the article was saying. The children in my classroom are always using sayings and working together. When I enter the room or even through classroom transitions they have songs or sayings to welcome each other or welcome "literacy". The children the other day were singing about phoneme segmentation, "What, Who, Why, When, How" parts of reading. It was so fun to hear because I think music is a great way for children to develop in literacy! I agree that it is important to get them excited! Your teacher's strategy of connecting sayings and teamwork and my teachers use of singing, I think is a great start. :)
ReplyDeleteLike both of your placements, literacy is a major influence in my classroom as well. However, our class is structured more like Alyssa's classroom because although we are in the IB program at Post Oak, I have never seen the IB planner. I also agree with Alyssa that Julia's connection helped with understanding the Langer reading. My field placement connects more to the Leland reading though. I am in a second grade classroom, but our MT always has a book that she reads "for fun" when they have some free time. Currently she is reading a book that discusses the topic of racism and economic hardships in mid American history even though the book is clearly a higher level than second grade reading. Like the Leland article, she uses the novel to discuss these life topics with her students and she guides and encourages them to connect the reading to their personal lives.
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