Teaching Children's Literature

Catalog description

The purpose of LLED 302 is to familiarize teacher candidates with different theories and practices of teaching literature in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Candidates are immersed in the study and experiences of literature and strategic models of literature instruction. Understanding that underlying belief systems determine the models of literature instruction educators adopt, LLED 302 asks candidates to be mindful of the diverse nature of our communities and encourages them to strive to create literary communities that respect, value, and encourage multiple modes of expressions. The basic course goals are to help candidates to understand the importance of story in all human lives; to exhibit a wide repertoire of flexible strategies for interpreting literature; to understand socio-cultural influences upon writing and literature; to know and be able to use basic reference tools and selection guides for research; to become familiar with different genres, diverse texts, and styles; to articulate responses to literature across a variety of media; to weave into the exploration of each of these goals a struggle to understand and to accept human differences; to understand the role that literature plays in the school curriculum; and to understand the role that literature can play in creating a just and inclusive society. The course presents theories of teaching literature and models of literature instruction that place at the center socio-cultural practices typical of democratic and just literary communities. This requires knowledge of how literature and texts work in real life and in a variety of social and cultural contexts. Informed by research, standards and current practices, LLED 302 exhibits the power of literature, the complexities of students' learning and experiences with texts, and the problem-solving character of teaching.