I really enjoyed this chapter. When I first started reading it I wondered how exactly contemporary fiction. But I learned alot about them and how to teach them. I really liked the Chart 9.2 because it really detailed one of the books and gave me more insight on teaching books. This made me think more about all the different aspects of teaching not just contemporary fiction. With all the obstacles young people face today I really feel that this chapter will be beneficial in helping children find books that will show them they are not alone. For every child with a problem there probably is a book already written about their problem or a similar experience. This chapter is really brought to life how teaching literature can affect lives. Will definitely use this chapter as learning/teaching guide for myself.
I always get stuck during our reading logs when it comes to application of the story. Discussion always seems to pop into my head, but this chapter made me aware of alternative teaching techniques. I was very excited by the idea of role playing realistic fiction. I just finished reading a Junie B. Jones book, and I can just imagine how fun it would be to see 2nd graders role playing some of these chapters. It help many of the students with social development, but it will also bring out their hidden creativity.
I have an easier time reading books with serious themes when I can relate to the character. I also enjoy stories with humor. I have very little time to read for enjoyment, so I choose stories make me happy. It is more enjoyable to read happy stories to my children than depressing ones. I spoke above about Junie B. Jones. This was a story that all 3 of my children wanted to hear. We laughed together, and it clearly my choice of Contemporary Realistic Fiction.
I really have no issues with the reading, except for the fact that most of it seemed depressing. I did not realize there were so many stories on divorce and death. I do understand the need for it though. It is depressing to see the number of students in lower elementary grades that have dealt with these topics. Reading about other children surviving similar situations can be a great motivator for a more positive outlook on life.
This was a very hard chapter to read. The majority of it focused on more mature topics than I am use to being around. I am glad I read, because I was very unaware of the different topics discussed in realistic fiction. I especially enjoyed learning different ways to teach with realistic fiction. Such as role play and drawing on inference. The text even spoke about setting up an Island in a classroom, and dividing into sections to represent areas of a particular story. There is no limit to the amount of ways to teach realistic fiction to any grade level.
Danica, I agree with you on a topic for any situation. I am not much of a reader so I was unaware of all the different subject matter discussed in library books. I felt a little silly asking our librarian for a Contemporary Realistic Fiction story for our reading log, because I didn't know for sure what type of story that acutally was. I was just happy to see that there were some with humor.
Haven't read the Junie B books yet but they sound good. And I agree with you on how depressing some of the contemporary fiction is. I also read for enjoyment and very rarely pick books that are too serious. But I notice how different everyones style of reading is. Lately my son has been into the American Chillers books even though I never read horror books to him. This chapter was definitely an eye opener for me too.
I have read many books where while I'm reading it I think to myself. "Wow, this could really happen". I was not aware that there was actually a genre for this type of book which is contemporary realistic fiction. I think that if kids feel like they are not alone and that someone else is going through the same problem as they are and they turn out ok, then things just might go well for them too. These types of books would be good to teach children tolerance as well. They can teach them how someone feels about a specific subject that they might not have yet to come in contact with. This might prepare them for something or keep them from doing something.
My son loved the Junie B books. I did not think of these books as being contemporary realistic fiction, but you are right they are. Junie B is always getting herself into some type of predicament and there is humor that goes along with it.
I think that it good that they have so many books out that deal with the unfortunate realities of the world. There are so many parents and teachers that don't know how to explain something that may be a hard subject to talk about and if you can read a book to start a conversation all the better.
Contemporary realistic fiction is very popular with children of all ages because they can relate to the conflicts and emotions of the characters. I enjoyed reading about the different views of contemporary realistic fiction. I can see why there is such a argument of these typses of books for children. One argument- these types of books could be too mature for elementary kids. Alhtough it may be beneficial for children to know that their not alone in their world of being a kid. But i believe as long a the reader is careful and to take each student into consideration when chosing the book then its appropriate to read contemproray realistic fiction books to elementary kids. And I also believe as long as there is an adult involved in the equation how could that not be better than how some children deal or learn of these situations.
In my contemporary realistic fiction reports I had my students do a collage as an activity, instead of getting too deep into the subject. I believe an art project after these types of readings would be very appropriate. I would do as my child's first grade teacher and let the parents know on a weekly basis what is being read in the classroom. This may help most parents know why some types of questions may have arose to the service.
This chapter discusses one of my favorite types of literature. I enjoy reading and sharing books that children can relate to and understand. I have seen our counselor use contemporary picture books to share with classes to discuss bullying, friendship, moving, and family situations. These seem very effective in beginning discussions. I can see the concern about some books being too difficult for children with problems to read. Librarians and teachers must be aware of difficult situations in the lives of their students. Books like Freak the Mighty and A Long Way from Chicago can be good books to share with older students because students are able to become involved with the characters and the issues they face. Contemporary fiction is a good “fit” for many readers because they enjoy the believable and real ideas presented. I know books about horses and dogs fly off our library shelf because children have the opportunity to get to know a pet even though they do not have one of their own. I am sure it is a good feeling for a child to see themselves experiencing a similar problem or enjoying an adventure with the characters in the book they are reading.
Finding quality literature in this genre is important. Often, it seems like the plot and problem is too predictable. The text discusses this issue in reference to sports books. I think that some early teen romance books also have this same problem. In reading to the class and suggesting books to students, I now know more titles and authors thanks to this chapter.
Kristi, I love that feeling when the students begin to believe something could really happen and that the characters are their friends! It's almost like the character is part of the class. Peter's Chair by Keats is one of the books my class enjoyed. Peter was just like some of my students. I agree with you and Shadra---Junie B. is a hoot. I wish my own children were still young enough to read those.
I think that contemporary realistic fiction is a great form of literature even though it is criticized with controversy. Over the decades as we've been reading in our text, our world and people in it have evolved as well. We don't live the traditional lifestyles our ancestors once did. With all of that has to come change with the literature as well. This is where we are seeing more of the contemporary, realistic stories that are talked about in this chapter. I think we certainly have to take into consideration the age and appopriateness of the book when choosing a story to read aloud, but these kinds of books are certainly ones that children can identy with because of a certain character, problem or interest the story has to share. The Evaluation Criteria green box in the chapter was enlightening. We as soon to be educators and especially being new into this world of education I think especially should be aware of this criteria as well as knowledgeable about books we'd like to share with our classrooms.
Danica, I think you're right about this chapter helping us find ideas and books for children facing different obstacles. However, as I mentioned in my blog, I think that we should choose wisely in what we read aloud to our children.
Chapter nine was really helpful and informative about suggesting contemporary realistic fiction books to students and how to teach them. I have always thought that these books are one of the most effective because children can always relate to the characters in the book. Sometimes it is helpful for students to know that what they are experiencing in their lives is real. Reading books about these events can sometimes encourage them and to read the authors perspective on the specific situation. I also enjoyed reading about the different cultured books and situations that they face as well. It is always great to read books from different cultures for everyone to read. I also found that the Developing Questioning Strategies section to be rather helpful.
I liked your idea about doing an art project relating to the story. I agree that some of these stories are too mature for the elementary audience. It is good to ask questions and get them to talk about the book but maybe simple questions to bring their ideas across to the teacher and to their peers.
Contemporary realistic books can also be good for students who are having a hard time expressing their emotions or tend to be shy. Some of these characters become "real" and can influence the students, they can motivate the students. I wouldn't suggest using this as the strategy to motivate a shy child, but these types of books can help give the child a sense of expression and not feel alone.
From chapter 9 I was able to understand what contemporary realistic fiction is. I had no clue what the definition of this genre was. I had an idea but was not exactly accurate. I believe his genre is helpful for children because they are able to relate the story. So many children struggle with identifying emotions and behaviors and I believe relating to stories and the characteristics experiences would be helpful. I liked the application process of applying contemporary realistic fiction in the classroom. Role playing would be a fun and exciting way for the students to apply and interact with what they have read.
I have always enjoyed reading Contemporary Realistic Fiction books however when it comes to my 8 year old daughter reading these books I find it hard to explain some things to her when it comes to more serious topics. I realize that these books are needed at some point in the life of children and the way our society is now a days they are needed at younger ages. Most of these book deal with death and other real life issues that are really in depth and that some children do not know how to react to them or comprehend them to their fullest extent. I think that they would be able to use these in the classroom and do some role playing with more humorous books. I love the Junie B. books and my daughter loves to read at least once every two weeks or so. This is by far the best chapter that I have read as it talks about the differences within these books. Some children can really relate to these books and hence it gives them the opportunity to comprehend the situation or scenario in a different way by kinds of getting a second opinion when they read about something similar to what they are going through.
I totally agree with you about how children can learn about tolerance when dealing with different situations. I think that these contemporary realistic fiction books that they have written for children are written for a reason and I think they are written to help children deal with different situations they go throught. Your absolutely right when you say that by reading these books where they a reading about a particular situation that they are in will help them comprehend it better and realize that there is always a way out of a problem or problems that they are facing.
Contemporary realistic fiction has always been one of my favorite genres from a young reader to adulthood. For children, I think that it is a wonderful way to have them explore who they are and questions about life and problems they may be encountering. I remember as a young girl, thinking that my parents just didn’t understand anything and it was at this age that I really began to read more for enjoyment than for necessity of school work. When reading contemporary realistic fiction books, it becomes easy to identify with the characters and imagine how we would react in similar situations. It also gives the reader the opportunity to find out that they aren’t the only ones who may be feeling that way or going through a certain situation such as death of a loved one, divorce, falling behind in school, etc.
I thought the text did a good job of discussing the controversy that surrounds many books in this category. As a parent or educator, it is important to monitor what our children read, but we must also accept that we can’t always shelter them from the harsh realities of the world we live in. I also think that we have to realize as our children grow older, their interests will evolve and they will be subject to topics that are relevant in today’s society that we may have tried to protect them from when they were younger. In our household, our children are not supposed to use negative words such as stupid, ugly, jerk, wimp, etc. When my son first began reading books targeted at older readers, but I still had him reading out loud for fluency, if he came to a word that we didn’t approve of, he would say “and a word I can’t say.” As proud of him as I was for knowing this, I told him that when it is used in the book it is ok to read it, but that we can’t use those words in a way to harm people.
I also think that there may be some things in life that we don’t know how to explain to our children or provide experiences that they can associate to. I think that contemporary realistic fiction books are a great way to help with this. Many children who don’t experience things first hand like abuse, homelessness, or poverty may have a difficult time relating to people who have. A great way to expose children to this is to allow them to read books that deal with these problems and learn how the characters overcome and prevail.
There were also some great teaching ideas presenting in this chapter. I think role playing is a great way for students to explain how they would deal with similar problems as the characters in the books they read. I think many books in this genre are great for classroom read alouds since so much great classroom discussion would be generated as students describe similar situations or discuss the pros and cons to how the characters handled the situation.
The text did a great job of presenting many different books in this genre and I look forward to reading many of them and incorporating them into my future classroom curriculum.
TerraM – I completely agree with you when you discuss how the world we live in today is not what our ancestors experienced. This is very important to keep in mind when we evaluate books and wonder if they may be too advanced for certain readers. We have to remember that children mature much faster in today’s society and that they are exposed to things that we weren’t exposed to at their age. I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing!
I agree that I really enjoy these types of books. I never realyl knew what the genre was but books that can relate to real life and are there to help kids cope with things have always been a joy to read.
I like how the book broke it down on how the fiction has changed over the decades and how society has changed. I like how it talked about all the controversial issues. There will always be some type of controversial problem with anything and everything because everyone has their ownopinions but its nice to ahve books out there for any of the different problems. Some kids are not sheltered like others and need those books to help them cope with things. It makes them not feel as if they are the only ones out there like that.
This chapter made me rethink the Junie B series that my nephew loves. I thought they would affect children’s grammar because of how the books read. Then I realized that the kids are already talking like this anyway so I guess it can’t hurt any more. They are very funny books and I can see why children love them so much. Junie B is also great because they are not to hard for kids to read and even the children that can’t read as well as others will find themselves flying through these books since they read like children speak. And because of this the children are able to connect to the book more and get more out of it. As usual this chapter has given me many examples of great books for the contemporary fiction genre and these will be a great help when I am teaching some day.
RebekahS – I agree with you on how the text touches on the ideas surrounding the controversy that surrounds this genre. And I am with you on your idea of accepting that we as parents and teachers will not always be there to shelter the children from materials we find they should not read. And I love how in your house no one is allowed to use negative words and find it very funny that your son says “and a word I can’t say”
The term contemporary realistic fiction is a term that I was not familiar with before reading this chapter, but it is something I use often with the children I work with. I work with children with emotional and behavior disorders in a therapeutic preschool setting and we read books to them that deal with issues they face to help them cope better as the chapter suggests. I also did not realize before reading this chapter that there was so much controversy surrounding this type of fiction but it does make sense why some would object to reading certain materials. I really enjoyed the section in which it discusses how to teach students with realistic fiction. It had many suggestions of applications that can be used with students and I find this to be very helpful.
I enjoyed this chapter. I believe it explained the definition of contemporary realistic fiction well, and the values. It mentioned the book Because of Winn-Dixie, I remember reading that book in school, and it was an amazing read! The controversial issues, I can somewhat agree with, but at the same time as long as you feel the right age group is reading it, I don't think it is a problem. My favorite part of this chapter was teaching with realistic fiction.
Rebekah, I agree with you on the idea of role playing. Hands on activities, I believe help the children remember better, and learn faster, while learning how to express themselves.
I like this chapter because it talks about comtemporary realistic fiction and I'm glad it is written not only for adults but also for children too. Most of the books I've read for this class have been comtemporary realistic books which are the type of books where anyone can relate to the charactor or know what a certain character is going through if placed in a certain situation. If someone says, children in Blah Mexico are poor and live on 25 cents a day, it's kinda hard to imagine that but if there was a story about a child or a mother or a father that tells you about their day to day life living on only 25 cents a day then you are able to understand it better, how they eat, where they sleep, school or no school. Do the children have to beg or work? Of course not all are depressing books but it paints the picture better and also makes people better aware of certain situations plus most of the time you never know what's gonna happen in the end like some book.
Geoff- I agree with you that the contemporary fiction can be good for kids. As a child it can be a struggle socially. You go from your household where you are very important to just being one of the crowd at school. It is something that every kid must learn. These books can help them know that there are other kids out there just like them. And they turn out ok.
I have always been a fan of contemporary fiction. I enjoy reading a story about something real. As a child I enjoyed books like the babysitter's club. It was just like me and my friends. I noticed that Because of Winn Dixie was one of the recommended books in this chapter. I read this for I beleive one of the William Allen White Books. It was great. It was comically and interesting. I think that kids can really benefit from these stories. They can relate and see the cause and effect of things without having to personally experience it.
I really enjoyed this chapter. When I first started reading it I wondered how exactly contemporary fiction. But I learned alot about them and how to teach them. I really liked the Chart 9.2 because it really detailed one of the books and gave me more insight on teaching books. This made me think more about all the different aspects of teaching not just contemporary fiction. With all the obstacles young people face today I really feel that this chapter will be beneficial in helping children find books that will show them they are not alone. For every child with a problem there probably is a book already written about their problem or a similar experience. This chapter is really brought to life how teaching literature can affect lives. Will definitely use this chapter as learning/teaching guide for myself.
ReplyDeleteChapter 9 Blog
ReplyDeleteI always get stuck during our reading logs when it comes to application of the story. Discussion always seems to pop into my head, but this chapter made me aware of alternative teaching techniques. I was very excited by the idea of role playing realistic fiction. I just finished reading a Junie B. Jones book, and I can just imagine how fun it would be to see 2nd graders role playing some of these chapters. It help many of the students with social development, but it will also bring out their hidden creativity.
I have an easier time reading books with serious themes when I can relate to the character. I also enjoy stories with humor. I have very little time to read for enjoyment, so I choose stories make me happy. It is more enjoyable to read happy stories to my children than depressing ones. I spoke above about Junie B. Jones. This was a story that all 3 of my children wanted to hear. We laughed together, and it clearly my choice of Contemporary Realistic Fiction.
I really have no issues with the reading, except for the fact that most of it seemed depressing. I did not realize there were so many stories on divorce and death. I do understand the need for it though. It is depressing to see the number of students in lower elementary grades that have dealt with these topics. Reading about other children surviving similar situations can be a great motivator for a more positive outlook on life.
This was a very hard chapter to read. The majority of it focused on more mature topics than I am use to being around. I am glad I read, because I was very unaware of the different topics discussed in realistic fiction. I especially enjoyed learning different ways to teach with realistic fiction. Such as role play and drawing on inference. The text even spoke about setting up an Island in a classroom, and dividing into sections to represent areas of a particular story. There is no limit to the amount of ways to teach realistic fiction to any grade level.
Danica,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on a topic for any situation. I am not much of a reader so I was unaware of all the different subject matter discussed in library books. I felt a little silly asking our librarian for a Contemporary Realistic Fiction story for our reading log, because I didn't know for sure what type of story that acutally was. I was just happy to see that there were some with humor.
Shadra T
ReplyDeleteHaven't read the Junie B books yet but they sound good. And I agree with you on how depressing some of the contemporary fiction is. I also read for enjoyment and very rarely pick books that are too serious. But I notice how different everyones style of reading is. Lately my son has been into the American Chillers books even though I never read horror books to him. This chapter was definitely an eye opener for me too.
I have read many books where while I'm reading it I think to myself. "Wow, this could really happen". I was not aware that there was actually a genre for this type of book which is contemporary realistic fiction. I think that if kids feel like they are not alone and that someone else is going through the same problem as they are and they turn out ok, then things just might go well for them too. These types of books would be good to teach children tolerance as well. They can teach them how someone feels about a specific subject that they might not have yet to come in contact with. This might prepare them for something or keep them from doing something.
ReplyDeleteShadra,
ReplyDeleteMy son loved the Junie B books. I did not think of these books as being contemporary realistic fiction, but you are right they are. Junie B is always getting herself into some type of predicament and there is humor that goes along with it.
I think that it good that they have so many books out that deal with the unfortunate realities of the world. There are so many parents and teachers that don't know how to explain something that may be a hard subject to talk about and if you can read a book to start a conversation all the better.
Contemporary realistic fiction is very popular with children of all ages because they can relate to the conflicts and emotions of the characters. I enjoyed reading about the different views of contemporary realistic fiction. I can see why there is such a argument of these typses of books for children. One argument- these types of books could be too mature for elementary kids. Alhtough it may be beneficial for children to know that their not alone in their world of being a kid. But i believe as long a the reader is careful and to take each student into consideration when chosing the book then its appropriate to read contemproray realistic fiction books to elementary kids. And I also believe as long as there is an adult involved in the equation how could that not be better than how some children deal or learn of these situations.
ReplyDeleteIn my contemporary realistic fiction reports I had my students do a collage as an activity, instead of getting too deep into the subject. I believe an art project after these types of readings would be very appropriate. I would do as my child's first grade teacher and let the parents know on a weekly basis what is being read in the classroom. This may help most parents know why some types of questions may have arose to the service.
This chapter discusses one of my favorite types of literature. I enjoy reading and sharing books that children can relate to and understand. I have seen our counselor use contemporary picture books to share with classes to discuss bullying, friendship, moving, and family situations. These seem very effective in beginning discussions. I can see the concern about some books being too difficult for children with problems to read. Librarians and teachers must be aware of difficult situations in the lives of their students. Books like Freak the Mighty and A Long Way from Chicago can be good books to share with older students because students are able to become involved with the characters and the issues they face. Contemporary fiction is a good “fit” for many readers because they enjoy the believable and real ideas presented. I know books about horses and dogs fly off our library shelf because children have the opportunity to get to know a pet even though they do not have one of their own. I am sure it is a good feeling for a child to see themselves experiencing a similar problem or enjoying an adventure with the characters in the book they are reading.
ReplyDeleteFinding quality literature in this genre is important. Often, it seems like the plot and problem is too predictable. The text discusses this issue in reference to sports books. I think that some early teen romance books also have this same problem. In reading to the class and suggesting books to students, I now know more titles and authors thanks to this chapter.
Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI love that feeling when the students begin to believe something could really happen and that the characters are their friends! It's almost like the character is part of the class. Peter's Chair by Keats is one of the books my class enjoyed. Peter was just like some of my students. I agree with you and Shadra---Junie B. is a hoot. I wish my own children were still young enough to read those.
I think that contemporary realistic fiction is a great form of literature even though it is criticized with controversy. Over the decades as we've been reading in our text, our world and people in it have evolved as well. We don't live the traditional lifestyles our ancestors once did. With all of that has to come change with the literature as well. This is where we are seeing more of the contemporary, realistic stories that are talked about in this chapter. I think we certainly have to take into consideration the age and appopriateness of the book when choosing a story to read aloud, but these kinds of books are certainly ones that children can identy with because of a certain character, problem or interest the story has to share.
ReplyDeleteThe Evaluation Criteria green box in the chapter was enlightening. We as soon to be educators and especially being new into this world of education I think especially should be aware of this criteria as well as knowledgeable about books we'd like to share with our classrooms.
Danica,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about this chapter helping us find ideas and books for children facing different obstacles. However, as I mentioned in my blog, I think that we should choose wisely in what we read aloud to our children.
Chapter nine was really helpful and informative about suggesting contemporary realistic fiction books to students and how to teach them. I have always thought that these books are one of the most effective because children can always relate to the characters in the book. Sometimes it is helpful for students to know that what they are experiencing in their lives is real. Reading books about these events can sometimes encourage them and to read the authors perspective on the specific situation. I also enjoyed reading about the different cultured books and situations that they face as well. It is always great to read books from different cultures for everyone to read. I also found that the Developing Questioning Strategies section to be rather helpful.
ReplyDeleterrballuch-
ReplyDeleteI liked your idea about doing an art project relating to the story. I agree that some of these stories are too mature for the elementary audience. It is good to ask questions and get them to talk about the book but maybe simple questions to bring their ideas across to the teacher and to their peers.
Contemporary realistic books can also be good for students who are having a hard time expressing their emotions or tend to be shy. Some of these characters become "real" and can influence the students, they can motivate the students. I wouldn't suggest using this as the strategy to motivate a shy child, but these types of books can help give the child a sense of expression and not feel alone.
ReplyDeleteFrom chapter 9 I was able to understand what contemporary realistic fiction is. I had no clue what the definition of this genre was. I had an idea but was not exactly accurate. I believe his genre is helpful for children because they are able to relate the story. So many children struggle with identifying emotions and behaviors and I believe relating to stories and the characteristics experiences would be helpful. I liked the application process of applying contemporary realistic fiction in the classroom. Role playing would be a fun and exciting way for the students to apply and interact with what they have read.
ReplyDeleteChapter 9
ReplyDeleteI have always enjoyed reading Contemporary Realistic Fiction books however when it comes to my 8 year old daughter reading these books I find it hard to explain some things to her when it comes to more serious topics. I realize that these books are needed at some point in the life of children and the way our society is now a days they are needed at younger ages. Most of these book deal with death and other real life issues that are really in depth and that some children do not know how to react to them or comprehend them to their fullest extent. I think that they would be able to use these in the classroom and do some role playing with more humorous books. I love the Junie B. books and my daughter loves to read at least once every two weeks or so. This is by far the best chapter that I have read as it talks about the differences within these books. Some children can really relate to these books and hence it gives them the opportunity to comprehend the situation or scenario in a different way by kinds of getting a second opinion when they read about something similar to what they are going through.
Kristi
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you about how children can learn about tolerance when dealing with different situations. I think that these contemporary realistic fiction books that they have written for children are written for a reason and I think they are written to help children deal with different situations they go throught. Your absolutely right when you say that by reading these books where they a reading about a particular situation that they are in will help them comprehend it better and realize that there is always a way out of a problem or problems that they are facing.
Contemporary realistic fiction has always been one of my favorite genres from a young reader to adulthood. For children, I think that it is a wonderful way to have them explore who they are and questions about life and problems they may be encountering. I remember as a young girl, thinking that my parents just didn’t understand anything and it was at this age that I really began to read more for enjoyment than for necessity of school work. When reading contemporary realistic fiction books, it becomes easy to identify with the characters and imagine how we would react in similar situations. It also gives the reader the opportunity to find out that they aren’t the only ones who may be feeling that way or going through a certain situation such as death of a loved one, divorce, falling behind in school, etc.
ReplyDeleteI thought the text did a good job of discussing the controversy that surrounds many books in this category. As a parent or educator, it is important to monitor what our children read, but we must also accept that we can’t always shelter them from the harsh realities of the world we live in. I also think that we have to realize as our children grow older, their interests will evolve and they will be subject to topics that are relevant in today’s society that we may have tried to protect them from when they were younger. In our household, our children are not supposed to use negative words such as stupid, ugly, jerk, wimp, etc. When my son first began reading books targeted at older readers, but I still had him reading out loud for fluency, if he came to a word that we didn’t approve of, he would say “and a word I can’t say.” As proud of him as I was for knowing this, I told him that when it is used in the book it is ok to read it, but that we can’t use those words in a way to harm people.
I also think that there may be some things in life that we don’t know how to explain to our children or provide experiences that they can associate to. I think that contemporary realistic fiction books are a great way to help with this. Many children who don’t experience things first hand like abuse, homelessness, or poverty may have a difficult time relating to people who have. A great way to expose children to this is to allow them to read books that deal with these problems and learn how the characters overcome and prevail.
There were also some great teaching ideas presenting in this chapter. I think role playing is a great way for students to explain how they would deal with similar problems as the characters in the books they read. I think many books in this genre are great for classroom read alouds since so much great classroom discussion would be generated as students describe similar situations or discuss the pros and cons to how the characters handled the situation.
The text did a great job of presenting many different books in this genre and I look forward to reading many of them and incorporating them into my future classroom curriculum.
TerraM – I completely agree with you when you discuss how the world we live in today is not what our ancestors experienced. This is very important to keep in mind when we evaluate books and wonder if they may be too advanced for certain readers. We have to remember that children mature much faster in today’s society and that they are exposed to things that we weren’t exposed to at their age. I really enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI agree that I really enjoy these types of books. I never realyl knew what the genre was but books that can relate to real life and are there to help kids cope with things have always been a joy to read.
ReplyDeleteI like how the book broke it down on how the fiction has changed over the decades and how society has changed. I like how it talked about all the controversial issues. There will always be some type of controversial problem with anything and everything because everyone has their ownopinions but its nice to ahve books out there for any of the different problems. Some kids are not sheltered like others and need those books to help them cope with things. It makes them not feel as if they are the only ones out there like that.
This chapter made me rethink the Junie B series that my nephew loves. I thought they would affect children’s grammar because of how the books read. Then I realized that the kids are already talking like this anyway so I guess it can’t hurt any more. They are very funny books and I can see why children love them so much. Junie B is also great because they are not to hard for kids to read and even the children that can’t read as well as others will find themselves flying through these books since they read like children speak. And because of this the children are able to connect to the book more and get more out of it. As usual this chapter has given me many examples of great books for the contemporary fiction genre and these will be a great help when I am teaching some day.
ReplyDeleteRebekahS – I agree with you on how the text touches on the ideas surrounding the controversy that surrounds this genre. And I am with you on your idea of accepting that we as parents and teachers will not always be there to shelter the children from materials we find they should not read. And I love how in your house no one is allowed to use negative words and find it very funny that your son says “and a word I can’t say”
ReplyDeleteThe term contemporary realistic fiction is a term that I was not familiar with before reading this chapter, but it is something I use often with the children I work with. I work with children with emotional and behavior disorders in a therapeutic preschool setting and we read books to them that deal with issues they face to help them cope better as the chapter suggests. I also did not realize before reading this chapter that there was so much controversy surrounding this type of fiction but it does make sense why some would object to reading certain materials. I really enjoyed the section in which it discusses how to teach students with realistic fiction. It had many suggestions of applications that can be used with students and I find this to be very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this chapter. I believe it explained the definition of contemporary realistic fiction well, and the values. It mentioned the book Because of Winn-Dixie, I remember reading that book in school, and it was an amazing read! The controversial issues, I can somewhat agree with, but at the same time as long as you feel the right age group is reading it, I don't think it is a problem. My favorite part of this chapter was teaching with realistic fiction.
ReplyDeleteRebekah, I agree with you on the idea of role playing. Hands on activities, I believe help the children remember better, and learn faster, while learning how to express themselves.
I like this chapter because it talks about comtemporary realistic fiction and I'm glad it is written not only for adults but also for children too. Most of the books I've read for this class have been comtemporary realistic books which are the type of books where anyone can relate to the charactor or know what a certain character is going through if placed in a certain situation. If someone says, children in Blah Mexico are poor and live on 25 cents a day, it's kinda hard to imagine that but if there was a story about a child or a mother or a father that tells you about their day to day life living on only 25 cents a day then you are able to understand it better, how they eat, where they sleep, school or no school. Do the children have to beg or work? Of course not all are depressing books but it paints the picture better and also makes people better aware of certain situations plus most of the time you never know what's gonna happen in the end like some book.
ReplyDeleteDanica I agree about the insight on the teaching books.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the contemporary fiction can be good for kids. As a child it can be a struggle socially. You go from your household where you are very important to just being one of the crowd at school. It is something that every kid must learn. These books can help them know that there are other kids out there just like them. And they turn out ok.
I have always been a fan of contemporary fiction. I enjoy reading a story about something real. As a child I enjoyed books like the babysitter's club. It was just like me and my friends. I noticed that Because of Winn Dixie was one of the recommended books in this chapter. I read this for I beleive one of the William Allen White Books. It was great. It was comically and interesting. I think that kids can really benefit from these stories. They can relate and see the cause and effect of things without having to personally experience it.
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