Appreciation and Presentation of Literature for Children and Adolescent
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 yet independent study 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. You may also choose to focus on literature geared toward a particular age-group.
If you love children’s literature (or want to!) and are a WWU student, a parent, an educator (pre-K-8), a librarian, a teenaged 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
Your assignments for this class will include a wide selection of readings, book reports, creative journal entries, 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 report will cover a topic of the student’s choice and will focus on finding multiple titles pertaining to this chosen topic.
For both of these presentations, a 2-4 page publication will be created, using a “publisher” type program.
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.
Registration Details for Summer
This course is usually offered in summer quarter as a fully online course available for WWU and non-WWU distance learning students. Most assignments are due during the 6 week session. If you are a teacher and wish to complete the course while working with your students in the fall, we can arrange for you to extend the end date of your course completion.
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.
For further informationcontact the instructor Rosemary Vohs at Rosemary.Vohs@wwu.edu
Here are some listings of excellent and prize-winning children’s books:
- Newbery Medal homepage – American Library Association
- Caldecott Medal homepage – American Library Association
- Printz Award Winners – Young Adult Library Services Association
- The Nestle Children’s Book Prize “Smarties Prize” (England)
- Check out this comprehensive listing of Worldwide Children’s Lit Awards and a whole lot more amazing stuff on The Children’s Literature Web Guide