Introduction
"For a book to be worthwhile, good enough to use in
class, it has to command the kid's interest, foremost."
Joe Bernhart
7th Grade Teacher, Fondren Middle School
Houston, Texas
Maybe good literature can make you think, transport you to
a foreign land, or reflect on your own world. Maybe it can
help you to understand human nature, yourself, and how to
get along in the world. Reading a variety of genres, styles
of writing, and literature portraying many ways of life builds
literate thought and minds. These diverse text experiences
provide opportunities for lively discussions that support
envisionment building in the classroom.
The
kinds of literary experiences you have each time you pick
up a really good book are the same kinds of experiences you
hope your students will have. Selecting the right texts is
crucial to your students' literary experiences. Your guidance
is critical in helping students explore a variety of literature
as they make meaning for themselves.
It is important to find texts that challenge and interest
students. At the same time, the texts you choose should not
alienate or frustrate students. Literature should be relevant
to students' lives, but it also should push students to expand
their personal horizons. In Workshop 4, middle school teachers
discuss these concerns and many more as they explore how they
select literature for their classrooms and what factors contribute
to their decisions.
For a complete guide to the workshop session activities,
download and print our Support Materials.
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