Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Barone covers a wide range of topics in a concise and easily accessible manner. She gives preservice and inservice teachers a better understanding of children's literature along with numerous practical ideas for using it across the curriculum. The book will help you become a more capable reader (and teacher) of children's literature by focusing your attention on the important visual, textual, and design aspects of different genres."--Frank Serafini, PhD, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
Review
"Barone presents a clear road map for engaging young readers with literature as they read for pleasure or critical analysis. This refreshing book is complete with book lists, text sets, attention to gender issues, ideas for matching readers to texts, and think-alouds. Barone clearly has 21st-century teachers in mind. She helps teachers plan for their day with explicit examples of schedules and standards, and demonstrates ways to meet the needs of diverse readers."--Suzette Youngs, PhD, School of Teacher Education, University of Northern Colorado
"Teachers often struggle trying to find the right literature to build background and inspire students to read. This excellent resource gives you a wealth of book ideas and strategies to bring literacy to life in your classroom. The author brings such a personal touch to her writing; it felt like she was speaking just to me. Literature lovers will be captivated by this book."--Nancy Kelly, MA, literacy consultant/coach, Sparks, Nevada
"Barone covers a wide range of topics in a concise and easily accessible manner. She gives preservice and inservice teachers a better understanding of children's literature along with numerous practical ideas for using it across the curriculum. The book will help you become a more capable reader (and teacher) of children's literature by focusing your attention on the important visual, textual, and design aspects of different genres."--Frank Serafini, PhD, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
Synopsis
Many reading programs today overlook an essential component of literacy instruction—helping children develop an enduring love of reading. This authoritative and accessible guide provides a wealth of ideas for incorporating high-quality children's books of all kinds into K-6 classrooms. Numerous practical strategies are presented for engaging students with picturebooks, fiction, nonfiction, and nontraditional texts. Lively descriptions of recommended books and activities are interspersed with invaluable tips for fitting authentic reading experiences into the busy school day. Every chapter concludes with reflection questions and suggestions for further reading. The volume also features reproducible worksheets and forms.
About the Author
Diane M. Barone, EdD, is Professor in the Department of Educational Specialties at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she teaches courses in literacy and qualitative research methods. Her research has focused primarily on young children's literacy development, particularly in high-poverty schools. She has conducted two longitudinal studies of literacy development: a four year study of children exposed prenatally to crack/cocaine, and a seven year study of children in a high-poverty school. Her publications include journal articles, book chapters, and a number of books. Dr. Barone served for eight years as the Editor of Reading Research Quarterly, and is currently a board member of the National Reading Conference, and the International Reading Association, as well as the principal investigator of the Reading First grant in Nevada.
Table of Contents
1. Engaging Teachers and Their Use of Children's Literature 2. Reading Aloud, Independent Reading, and Response in the Classroom 3. Exploring Narrative Genres 4. Exploring Nonfiction/Informational Genres 5. Exploring Qualities of Text 6. Exploring Qualities of Visual Representation 7. Children's Views of Children's Literature 8. Learning about Illustrators and Small Text Sets 9. Learning about Authors and More Extensive Text Sets Epilogue