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EDUC 497- Children's Literature: Appreciation and Presentation of Literature for Children and Adolescents

Catalogue Description:
Explore the wonderful world of children's literature and discover ways to bring the page alive for all age-groups in classroom, home, and community settings. This course emphasizes wide reading of genres, book selection, dramatic presentation and innovative uses. The primary focus is on enhancing appreciation for the literature available for pre-school through teen audiences and how to present this literature in a way that inspires a love of literature, diverse learning and lifelong reading, using oral interpretation, reader's theatre and storytelling techniques.

This is a hands-on class where students discover the wide variety of children's literature genres and non-print media materials that foster good literacy learning in the home, community and school setting. Focus is on presenting literature to children in creative and dramatic ways and fostering strong independent and lifelong readers.

This course is designed so that students have independent input in their choice of reading materials.  This means that your direction of study and reading can be tailored to your needs whether you are new to the study of children's literature or if you have taken courses in this area before.

If you love children's literature (or want to!) and are a WWU student, a parent, an educator (pre-K-8), a librarian, a high-school aged home-schooled student, or a bookstore employee, etc. ...then this class is for you.

Students will read copious quantities of children's and young adult books throughout the quarter....a great excuse to read something you will really enjoy.  Get a head start on your reading during break if you like!...go visit your local bookstore or library for a stack of great books to whet your appetite.

See the links below for lists of great books to get you started or buy your textbook and check out the many reviews, discussions, topical lists and suggestions of books in all genres.

Student assignments for this class will include a wide selection of readings, book reports, creative journal entries, oral presentations and service learning.

Students will create two focused reports. The first will be on a book that has won an major literary award (such as the Newbery Medal, Printz Award) or is considered a "Classic." The second will cover a topic of the student's choice and will focus on finding multiple titles pertaining to this chosen topic. (For the on-campus version of this class, these reports will be submitted to the class as an oral presentation.  The topical presentation may be delivered as a group presentation.)

For both of these presentations, a 2-4 page publication will be created, using a "publisher" type program. Here are some examples of student handouts created.

Students will also create a creative portfolio that includes the entries for their book report of readings and their journal of learning experiences. This will include a wide variety of entries, ranging from favorite book lists to artistic projects, poetry, drawings, observations, reader's theatre scripts, personal reading autobiography, interviews, self-illustrated stories, student activities, curriculum connections, etc.

Students will also find some "service learning" opportunities to share books with young listeners.  This might be in a school, summer camp, library or other community setting.  Students will evaluate and report on their experience presenting literature to an audience.

For a complete list of assignments, see the syllabus.

This class may also be taken on an independent/online basis.  Contact the instructor for details.

Registration Details for Summer 2012

This course will be offered in Summer 2012 as an Online/Hybrid course available for WWU and non-WWU distance learning students.

Please go to the WWU Summer Session site for specific registration details.

This course is open to all WWU students. You do not have to be an education major or Woodring student to register. This course will sometimes be offered in the summer as an onlin/hybrid course with open registration to matriculated and non-matriculated students.

(This class was formally listed as ELED 405  Note: ELED 405 course name and number is being reconfigured as a multicultural/diverse literature course to fit the requirements of the Language, Literacy and Diversity major at WWU.)

For further information regarding this course, please refer to syllabus or contact the instructor Rosemary Vohs at 650-6446 or Rosemary.Vohs@wwu.edu

Page Updated 06.01.2012
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