Great Teachers Who Positively Infuence Students to Become Fluent

When I was a child, reading meant a magical story that I believed would come true when I grew up. Reading today is antithetic to how it was back in my childhood days. Having a want to read, meant that the library would become my best friend. As a child, my parents wanted me to stay active, which meant I was either at a ball tournament, camping, playing outside, or playing games with my friends, but I made sure I read before bed or on my way to and from ball games. When I was in preschool and elementary school my favorite books to read were The Rainbow Fish and the Junie B. Jones series. The Rainbow Fish was my favorite book because I remember seeing the cover of the book with all its vibrant colors that drew me to read it, which looking at the pictures were good enough for my attention span. Junie B. Jones book series were my favorite in grade school because I could relate Junie B. Jones life because I was the same age going through the same issues. The series was popular for children my age at our school, which we made a competition of who can read all the books first.

Every year teachers in the school tried making reading fun by incorporating fun games or activities that introduced a book of choice. They would go as far as creating activities that continued all week or until the book was finished.

I believe that books have one of the greatest influences on children when they are growing up. There are many different genres of books and they all have something different to teach and offer to children. For example, picture books and fictional stories spark imagination in children and teach them creativity while, non-fiction and stories incorporating diversity, teach children about a certain topic and help broaden their horizons. Keeping the importance of all the different genres of books in mind, I chose two articles from the Journal of Children’s Literature pertaining to this subject.

Literature teaches kids to feel empathetic for each other. A story allows the reader to put themselves in the character’s shoes and gives us a different perspective on the character’s life. It also shows the reader not to judge someone by their cover because you never know what outside factors are affecting them. For example, Daphne's book is about a shy girl named Daphne, commonly known to others as Daffy Duck. She was raised by an impoverished, mentally ill grandmother, so the other kids would make fun of her. Instead of sympathizing with her, kids pitied her and called her names. “These are the experiences for a young person in which the sort of commonplace

Books have slowly faded out into the mainstream in our modern age. In an age where technology overpowers anything from the past, children have everything done for them and are not required to use the imagination that has been exercised over many years. I remember when I was a child I would be given these toys that did nothing at all, and I would have to use my imagination to make up stories and scenarios to entertain my boredom. I would read books and imagine the scenes play out in my head as if I was watching a movie unfold. Children now simply watch television or stream videos on their devices. Books are key in expanding children’s understanding of the world, and opening horizons which were previously locked to them. They teach lifelong lessons and help solve problems by offering solutions never thought of before. Most of all, they are an escape from the outside world in a way provided by nothing else. In an effort to reward books which encompass everything a book should strive to be, I nominate Roald Dahl’s creation, titled Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for the “Imaginative Discovery” award. A book which entertains, a book which teaches both child and adult alike, a book which expands and develops imagination like no other book can.

. Captivated by the trials of others’ encounters, the reader finds hope in his own life. For some, books are an escape. He is able to disappear into a new world, with different lives, and extreme or sometimes even similar situations. However, his real world problems are still ever-present. In Sherman Alexie’s article, “Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood,” he claims that many

When I was younger, the amount of obligations upon me fewer and less likely to affect life in the long term, it was far easier to pursue my passion for fiction. School consumed less time, and the classes were introductions to various principles rather than in depth study. The books contained within the library of my elementary school weren’t great works of literature either. They were simple stories, with simple characters and events, but I loved them anyways. These simple things made sense, a comfort blanket that I simply had to reach into a basket on a shelf to find. When library time rolled around every week, I always managed to find three or four new ones to take home, and then read them all within a day or two. I had never been a particularly athletic child; I had the time and the will to devour as many stories as I possibly could.

Children’s literature is an effective teaching tool for children but also a way for children to escape their daily lives through fantasy. Didactic material can be used to teach life lessons, manners and morals where subversive and fantasy genres can allow children to release from daily expectations and allows an outlet for their large imaginations.

Reading novels is an experience unlike any other. With the crack of a new book, the reader is transported into the pages, into a new land, ready to take on the role of protagonist. Each little girl has the chance to be a pirate-fighting hero, each little boy able to become the doting husband. If that sentence sounds strange, it is because society has socialized individuals to gender any and all activities, reading included. Elizabeth Segel drives this point home in her article “As the Twig is Bent… Gender and Childhood Reading,” which gives an in-depth analysis of gender in children’s book, and the implications it has for readers.

It may be cliché, but books have always held a spot close to my heart. When I was three I had a book called Bitsy Witch that went wherever I did. When I was seven, my mom read a chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone every night. In middle school, I worked my way through the entire children’s section at my local library. In high school, I took every English class offered, and when I entered college I to compromise with my family that I would also pursue a pre-professional program. My time outside of class was spent on my pre-professional degree until, my senior year in college. I took two classes that focused on children’s and young adult texts. Before those classes, I hadn’t realized that specializing in Children’s literature was

Charlotte’s Web is a classic children's literature, after fifty years of publication, it is still on the top of the best-loved children’s books. The story is about a pure friendship asking nothing in return. Through investigating the uncertainty of life and death, love and loneliness, it encourages children to embrace and celebrate life, love and companionship wholeheartedly. He explained/depicted/illustrated his understanding of empathy and curiosity, passion and

This article is an interview with Kitty Felde, the host of “Book Club for Kids” a podcast for kids which began last July. The article details Felde’s podcast in which she discusses books with middle school kids. She offers practical advice and insight into the process of letting the kids, or their “handlers” –their parents or librarians- pick the books for discussion. The reader is left with a sense of optimism that there are kids out there who are passionate about books and willing to share their thoughts with other passionate readers, which is a good thing for the world.

This charming story reverses the typical roles within a children’s book. With underlying issues of stereotypes, independence and empowerment, it fills children with imagination and teaches them the importance of being strong, smart, and the realization that beauty comes from within.

Doughty, A. A. (2013). 'Throw the Book Away': Reading versus Experience in Children's Fantasy. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

There are numerous children’s books available for educators to utilize as they create, integrate, and incorporate reading books into their lessons. When selecting books for students, many factors come into play. One central component to employ when selecting Children’s books is ensuring the book is developmentally appropriate for the child (Lennox, 2013). In order to select