Chapters 6-10

Chapters 6 - 10 Textbook Reflections

Chapter 6: How do adolescents develop?

Summary:

To match kids to successfully we need to know readers and how they develop and how they grow.

Physical Development: 

We need to understand that students go through puberty and they all develop at a different time and rate.  Girls develop breast at different rates and they are either to big or to small. Guys also go through this, not having as much experince as others. Boys and girls questions if they are normal and if the changes they going through are normal. They wonder if they are ever going to get through the changes that they are going through. In adolescents the physical reality gets in the way of everything else that is happening in their lives.

There are lots of books that talk about the physical development of kids. They touch on the different transitions from child, to tween, to teen. As educators we need to focus on those books that reassure kids that they are normal, and they will survive the changes that they are going through.

Intellectual Development:

John Piaget talked about kids/ we progress from a sensory motor, to concrete operational, to a more formal operational stage. Kids begin there transition from conrete to abstarct at about age 10.  Middle school kids should be able to do alot more abstraction, but sometimes they are just not aware. We are starting to get a push back where the transition from concrete to abstract doen't reallhy start until the age of 14 according to Piaget's theory.

As educators we need to be aware of this when it comes to the type of questions that we ask our students. Not all middle school kids make the trasition to the abstract at the same time. If you ask middle school students abstarct quesstion, it is recommended that you provide scaffolding for your students ( Vigotsky). We must provide students a way to get to theme, and other abstaract questions.

We also need to think about he types of books that we are offereing our students. Some books are concrete, which provide all the information. On the other end are the books that require a level  abstraction to fully appreciate them. We need to think where are the kids in terms of their level of intellectual development. Think about the difference between concrete and abstract.

Havighurst Stages:

• learning to get along with peers: when we are young we get along with everyone, when we reach adolescents we tend to gravitatef toward people who have mutual interest. 

• Easy relationship with the opposite sex: when get to point where we can have friends that are girls or boys, with out associating them with a girlfriend or boyfriend.

• Working for pay: This is an important time during adolesence where we want to start babysittin, mowing lawns. Pay means independence, it is tied to the changing relationships with parents. 
• Changing relationships with parents: We start to look at  what our parents believe in. During this time we start to pull away, and we have almost a 180 degreee of difference. Eventually we will gravitate closer to them. Parent will talk to educators, because their relationship with their kids is changeing. 
• Finding a vocation: During this time kids start to look at what they want to be when they grow up. What are they called to do in life.
• Developing morals and values: The drift between parent is child is mainly because they are starting to develop morals and values.
• Adapting to physical bodies: They are learning to adapt to the physical changes that their bodies are going through.
• Defining appropriate sex roles: Often these roles are defined by society, so this is a very hard time. Society says this is what girls do and this is what boys do. Adolescents need to learn how to function and operate with in the expectation that society has.

Moral: Kohlberg's Theory:

How we look at our morals and values is always changing. As kids we tend to function at the preconventional level of morality. At this level we behave based on reward and punishment. When the rewards and punishments are removed, they go back to behaving bad. Adults are the same way, one example would be speeding. If we see the cop we tend to slow down, if we don't we tend to speed. Preconventional, do you stop or go through a four way stop if no one is looking. Conventional is where we follow the rules. Kohlberg also talks about post-conventional levels of morality. Here we recognize the laws, but we know that humanity, the life of the individual surpass the laws of society. Kohlberg would say that we do not spend to much time in the post-coventional level of morality, rather we step up to it depending on the situation.

In YA literature are looking for book that speak to where kids are, and that moves them to higher levels through developmental tasks. Some kids might questions why Rosa Parks didn't just move to the back of the bus. They are not ignoring the sacrifice that Parks made, they are looking at the reward punishment. You go along to get along, they do not understand sacrificing yourself to help someone else. 

Maslow: Needs Hierarchy:

It is usually shown in a pyramid, because the needs at the bottom of the pyramid have to be met before you can move up.

Physiological Needs: If you come to work and you are not feeling well, your physiological needs override everything else that takes place. Think of kids who come to school hungry or without enough sleep. This is why some districts provide meal programs year round, to meet those physiological needs.

Safety: Kids need to be safe physically and emotionally. We want the library and the environment in teh classroom to be a safe place. We do not want bullying or name calling to be part of this environment. 

Love/ Belonging:We feel the need to be loved and belong some how. Educators must ask themselves how they are going to meet that need. This can be expressed in many ways, your might be the only time in the entire day that a child experiences this. An easy way to show this to a child is to simply be interested in what they are doing. 

Esteem: We have the need for esteem, the need to be respected, children show this by how they address us, but we as adults do not always recipricate. IF a child says they didn't like a book, we need to show respect for this opinion, and find out the why that is tied to it.

Self-Actualization: The need to believe that  you can be anything that you want to be. We are not placing limits on you. We want to meet them as individuals interacting with kids, and we want to find books that reflect that.

Developing as Readers:

Unconscous Delight: You read and the real world falls away, and you get lost in a book. Series books and serial reading fall into this category. You might read all the books by a certatin author, and that is serial reading.

Reading Autobiographically: This is not necessarily a hierarchy, and we don't leave one forever, we build throughout our lives. Reading autobiographically is when we read book about people like us. This is mirror reading, because you find your self in the books.

Reading for Vicarious Experiences: This type of reading provides window for the reader that allows them to see out. Fantasy, Science Fiction, reading about different places and times and experiences.

Reading for Phylosophical Speculation: This is when you read and start to question those morals and values. 

Reading For Aesthetic Experiences: Reading for the sheer beauty and wonder of the experience.You are captured by what the author is doing and how he is making you feel.

If you have someone who is not an avid reader as an adult, there is something that they may have missed along the way. As educators, teachers, librarians, we need to look for those things that will help them fall into a book. They need to simply enjoy the act of reading for reading itself.

Reflection:

I knew that when adolescents were developing they were going throug many physical changes, and that during this time they would typically rebel or push away from their parents. The reason that kids do this was the surprise for me. I though that kids did it because they were testing the water to see what they could get away with, or hey just simply wanted to look cool infont of their friends. It really surprised me that adolescents do this because they are formaing their own morals and values, it all makes sense now. People think that just becasue we raise our kids for an x amount of years, they will turn out just like us. What this chapter has shown me is that now more than ever I can clearly see that adolecents are really their own person trying to fit into societies norms. What I have learned in this chapter will affect how I work with adolescents, because I believe I will have to be a bit per perceptive to their needs and patient. They are not going to know what they want to read, becasue they are still trying to put the changing puzzles of their life together. When building my collection I will what I have learned, and add YA literature to the library's collections that will show them that they are perfectly normal, and every other kid around them is also going through the same thing or will go through it. When I read YA literature, I think that I will have deeper understanding for the characters after reading about all the changes that have to undergo, and the challenges that face when trying to assimilate into society. This information will help me dig deeper, and analyze character relationships at a whole new level.

Chapter 7: Literary Elements

Summary:

Below  is a list of literary devices that are to be basic to a critical evaluation of YA literature.

Literary Elements:

• Antagonist: a person who actively opposes or is hostile to someone or something; an adversary
• Character: A character can be any person, a figure, an inanimate object, or animal. There are different types of characters, and each serves its unique function in a story or a piece of literature.
• Conflict: It is a literary device used for expressing a resistance the protagonist of the story finds in achieving his aims or dreams.
• Mood And Tone:The mood is the atmosphere of the story, and the tone is the author's attitude towards the topic
• Plot: The plot usually refers to the sequence of events and happenings that make up a story. There is usually a pattern, unintended or intentional, that threads the plot together. The plot basically refers to the main outcome and order of the story.
• Protagonist: he leading character or one of the major characters in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text.
• Setting: In literature, the word ‘setting’ is used to identify and establish the time, place and mood of the events of the story. It basically helps in establishing where and when and under what circumstances the story is taking place.
• Themes: The theme of any literary work is the base that acts as a foundation for the entire literary piece. The theme links all aspects of the literary work with one another and is basically the main subject. 

Literary Devices:

• Allegory: An allegory is a symbolism device where the meaning of a greater, often abstract, concept is conveyed with the aid of a more corporeal object or idea being used as an example 
• Allusion: An allusion is a figure of speech whereby the author refers to a subject matter such as a place, event, or literary work by way of a passing reference.
• Archetype: An archetype is a reference to a concept, a person or an object that has served as a prototype of its kind and is the original idea that has come to be used over and over again.
• Deus ex machine: Deus ex Machina is a rather debatable and often criticized form of literary device. It refers to the incidence where an implausible concept or character is brought into the story in order to make the conflict in the story resolve and to bring about a pleasing solution.
• Hyperbole: A hyperbole is a literary device wherein the author uses specific words and phrases that exaggerate and overemphasize the basic crux of the statement in order to produce a grander, more noticeable effect. 
• Imagery: In literature, one of the strongest devices is imagery wherein the author uses words and phrases to create “mental images” for the reader. Imagery helps the reader to visualize more realistically the author’s writings.
• Metaphor: Metaphors are one of the most extensively used literary devices. A metaphor refers to a meaning or identity ascribed to one subject by way of another. In a metaphor, one subject is implied to be another so as to draw a comparison between their similarities and shared traits. 
• Motif: The literary device ‘motif’ is any element, subject, idea or concept that is constantly present through the entire body of literature. Using a motif refers to the repetition of a specific theme dominating the literary work.
• Point of View: Point of view is the manner in which a story is narrated or depicted and who it is that tells the story. Simply put, the point of view determines the angle and perception of the story unfolding, and thus influences the tone in which the story takes place. The point of view is instrumental in manipulating the reader’s understanding of the narrative
• Simile: Similes are one of the most commonly used literary devices; referring to the practice of drawing parallels or comparisons between two unrelated and dissimilar things, people, beings, places and concepts. By using similes a greater degree of meaning and understanding is attached to an otherwise simple sentence. The reader is able to better understand the sentiment the author wishes to convey. Similes are marked by the use of the words ‘as’ or ‘such as’ or ‘like’.
• Symbolism: A symbol is literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed at first sight, and is representative of several other aspects, concepts or traits than those that are visible in the literal translation alone. Symbol is using an object or action that means something more than its literal meaning.

Reflection:

I knew what the various literary elements were, but I was surprised by some of the literary devices. I am a teacher and we use many of these key words to teach our students, but I must say that I got stumped my Archetype and Deus ex machine. These words are interesting on there own, but after you find our the meaning, it makes you thing of all the stories that I have read. I can use the these Literary Elements and Devices to help my students better understand the story and the characters in them. This list would be a great resource to add to any ELA class, or library student lesson. I could see my self using these words in a library book club. We can read the books, discuss the story using this academic language that I would expose the students to prior to reading the novel. I think I after creating my list of definitions, I will be able to use these literary devices to analzy the style of the writer, and reason behind the use of his litteray elements and devices they chose to use. It will help get a better grasp of the story and its plot.

Chapter 8: Awards

Summary:

This chapter contain the names of awards, and the criteria for each. It also contains when the awards and/or lists are announced and how to access them.

Reflection:

I knew that there were awards for books, but I never knew that there were so many. I also didn't know that there were so many categories. I think it is important for readers to know what a book has been given a particualar award, it will help them better understant the quality of work that they are reading. As I work my way through the reading for this course, I am going to pay more attention to the awards tha the books were given, and the criteria that each had to meet to get it. Knowing what each award is for helps the reader build an appreciation for various types of literature that exist, and for the literature that they themselves read.

Chapter 9: Poetry

Summary:

What is Poetry? There is no one answer. Some say it’s about the form and use of words, while others say that poetry is about how the piece makes you feel afterwards.

Poetry is the most neglected form out there, because alot of us do not feel comforatable with it.
If kids have a bad experience with it, they will be hesitant to read it for enjoyment. Poetry is one of the best things to have children write, because there are no rules, you can follow your own format.

Research Study done by Anne Terry:

It needs to be replicated because the research came to five conclusions in reference to what kind of poetry works well with kids, and what do kids like. This research was done with kids, they asked kids to evaluate a variety of poems. The research showed that kids preferred narrative poetry, because reading a story is very natural to them. The two types of poetry that they disliked was Haiku and free verse. Haiku is to short and a free verse poem doesn't rhyme, they do not consider it a poem. Kids like sound devices in poetry. Funny peoms, animal poems, and poems about familiar experiences. Children also have a preferencce for contemporary poems, because the recognize the language and feel comfortable with it. Older poems are written in a language that kids don't really understand.

Additional Criteria:

Visual Images and Words that allow the childrens immagination to expand. The words should affect imagery in some way, sensory poem. Kids can grab hold of this and see am image. Poems should not be brought down to a childs level. A good peom for kids should allow them to interact with the poem. A poem must be good enough for repeated reading, which is very important. Lymricks are a favorite type of poetry for kids, they are funny almost musical.

There are some major awards for peotry:

•  NCTE Award For Excellence in Poetry For Children: Began in the 70's, and it was given to a poet for his or her body of work, every three years. Now the award is given out every year. 

Criteria for Evaluating Poetry for Children:

1. Is the subject of the poem something with which children would be familiar?  For instance David McCord writes about climbing trees in “Every Time I Climb a Tree.”   Compare that with  Joyce’s poem about trees which is more abstract and not within reach of younger readers.  This is not to say we do not share Joyce or Frost’s “Birches” with children.  However, these poems would be better shared once children are older and have heard and read many poems about trees, about nature, etc.
2. Does the poem use imagery?  Again, those images should be something accessible to young readers.  Sights, sounds, tastes, smells, and textures are all examples of imagery.  Think about Shel Silverstein’s “Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout” and how it creates smells and sights for the reader.  
3. Does the poem rhyme?  While poetry does not need to rhyme to be poetry, young readers need the scaffold of rhyme initially.  Later, they will be able to appreciate blank verse and other forms that do not rhyme.  
4. How is rhythm used?  It is not necessary to teach kids about meter and foot though it could be included when reading a poem.  However, we can teach  kids about the different “beats” as we read.  Does the rhythm fit the subject of the poem?  Is the rhythm natural or are there some forced rhythms (and rhymes) within the text.
5. What role does sound play?  Alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia are all part of how sounds play a role in poems.  

Six reasons to share poetry with children found by Jean Le Pere: 

1. Enjoyment 

2. Provides knowledge of concepts. 

3. Increases vocabulary. 

4. Helps children identify with people and situations. 

5. Helps children understand their feelings. 

6. Grants insights to their feelings and universal emotions.

Characteristics that Margaret Natarella found that children like (Norton 410).

• 1st-3rd grade narrative poems and limericks, poems about strange and fantastic events, traditional poems, poems that rhyme, use alliteration or onomatopoeia.
• 4th-6th grade excitement for poetry declines, contemporary poems are better, poems with familiar and enjoyable experiences, poems that tell a story with humor, include rhythm and rhyme, mo heavy imagery or implied emotion
• 7th- 9th grade rhyme, humorous narrative, familiar experiences

Criteria for Selecting Poetry for Children- 1. Lively poems with rhythm and meters 2. Emphasize sounds and play on words 3. Visual images and words that allow children’s imagination to expand 4. Simple stories and introducing stirring scenes of action 5. Poems shouldn’t be brought down to a child’s supposed level. 6. Allow children to interact with the poem 7. Subjects should touch the child 8. Good enough for repeated readings

Reflection:

I currently teach 4th grade, so I was more or less aware of the types of poems that kids like. I have noticed the confused look on their faces when I read a free verse poem, the do not seem to understand it, because it doesn't follow any rules. I was really surprised that the reason that most people don't like poetry, is because they do not understand it. I enjoy reading, and always found poems as a quick getaway because I always found them easy to read. I am goint to apply the knowledge that I have learned in my current classroom and in my future library. I plan to make my poetry lessons fun and interactive, so that children can grow to love them. I do not want to be the reason that someone grows up to hate poetry. I think it is all in the delivery, and the passion that one has towards the subject matter. As an educator one must also be familiar with with types of poems work better with kids, Anne Terry's research will come in handy.

Chapter 10: Historical Fiction

Summary:

Historical Fiction: is any story that takes place in the past. Reading historical fictin allow reader to opportunity to vicariously experience what i might have been like to live in a previous time and place. Students tend to have a problem with historical fiction because it took place in that past, which makes it difficult for many to make a connection to it.

Criteria for Evaluating Historical Fiction for Children:

Does the book tell a good story that effortlessly blends the history in the story itself?  Think about books like Sarah, Plain and Tall by MacLachlan.  We know the story is set in the past due to some of the details in the opening chapter, but the story itself is about the need for family and connections.
Are the facts of the historical period accurate?  Since neither Karin nor I are history scholars, we rely on other resources for an answer to this question.  Reviews are one source we can use to verify historical accuracy and authenticity.  We also turn to CBC (the Council on Books for Children) which, in conjunction with the National Council on Social Studies, produces an annual list of Notable Trade Books in the Social Sciences.
How are the values of the time brought to life?  Readers need to see that time periods might have valued some things differently from contemporary times.   Much as we would like to see enlightened values in some past periods of time, it is not appropriate.  In The Witch of Blackbird Pond, readers will learn about the role of women and the role of religion in that historic setting.
Is everything consistent with the social milieu?  Clothing, architecture, music, even speech patterns need to reflect the historic period.  Girls would not be wearing pants in some periods of time; families might live in sod houses in another.  TV and even radio might not yet be forms of entertainment in another time and place.
Does the theme of the story relate to contemporary readers?  The book should relate a theme that applies to contemporary readers.  This means that the theme is universal in nature.

Reflection:

I knew that historyical fiction had to do with the past, but I was surprised that it was the reason students could not relate to it. My current students love to read about historical fiction, and get absorbed int he events that character have to undergo. Usually when I read historical fiction to my students, they have twenty questions, and we have to do a social studies unit along with novel so that they can get a better metal picture of what was occuring in the books. I think that if the problem is that the stories took place in the past, I will have to build my students prior knowledge before reading this type of book. In my library I will show case hostorical fictions, and bombared my students with interesting facts about the events that occured in the books. This way students will form a connection prior to reading the book, and get lost in it once they start reading it.