Literature for Young Children

Cyndi Giorgis is a Professor of Children’s Literature at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where she teaches courses in children’s literature, visual literacy, multicultural literature, and literature for young children. She is a former primary grade classroom teacher and school librarian. She has served on the Newbery, Caldecott, and Geisel Award committees and is a former editor of The Reading Teacher’s Children’s Book Review column. Professor Giorgis has edited the Journal of Children’s Literature and has served on various boards such as the International Reading Teacher’s Special Interest Group in Children’s Literature and Reading and the board of the Children’s Literature Assembly. Dr. Giorgis has published numerous professional articles about literature in the classroom including the most recent book chapter in A Master Class in Children’s Literature: Trends and Issues in an Evolving Field as well as the book The Wonder of It All: When Literature and Literacy Intersect. She is the recipient of the International Reading Association’s Arbuthnot Award for Outstanding Professor of Children’s and Young Adult Literature.  Joan I. Glazer is Professor Emerita of Education at Rhode Island College, where she taught courses in children’s literature, language arts, and reading. She has taught at the elementary school level, served as a Head Start supervisor, and worked as an educational consultant for numerous school districts. She spent the 2002–2003 academic year in Norway as a Fulbright Scholar, visiting more than 60 schools to present teacher workshops and demonstration lessons focusing on American Studies. She is a past president of the United States Board on Books for Young People, a past Executive Committee member of the International Board on Books for Young People, and is the current president of the board that oversees the publication of Bookbird: A Journal of International Children’s Literature. Dr. Glazer has been honored with the Distinguished Teacher Award from the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development at Rhode Island College, was the first holder of the Thorp Professorship for Scholarship, and has received the school’s Award for Service.

• 1     Defining Literature for Young Children            The Range of Literature   Format        Literature-Based Media         Genre         Children’s Preferences in Literature Children and the Literary Experience  Helping Parents Select Literature      Summary      2     Evaluating Literature for Children       Evaluating Fiction           Literary Elements     Coherence   Integrity       Evaluating Nonfiction      Organization            Accurate Presentation of Facts         Current Information   Evaluating Poetry   Evaluating Illustrations    Proximity to Text     Developing the Text  Capturing the Emotional Link            Appropriateness of Illustrations          Evaluating Interactive Literature on CD-ROM         Summary      3     Sharing Literature       Reading Aloud   Finding the Right Book         Creating a Positive Environment        Helping Children Construct Meaning  Storytelling        Finding the Right Story         Creating a Positive Environment        Helping Children Construct Meaning  Sharing Literature Through Media            Finding the Right Media        Creating a Positive Environment        Helping Children Construct Meaning  Helping Others Share Literature   Summary      4     The Literature Curriculum       Developing the Imagination          Promoting Positive Attitudes       Regular Sharing of Literature Literature Selection  Strategies and Activities for Responding to Books       Grouping Books for Instruction    Book Comparisons   Units of Study          Webs          Using Literature Across the Curriculum    Summary      5      Planning Your Program           Seeing the Possibilities  A Book for Toddlers and Preschoolers           A Book for Primary Grades   Selecting ActivitiesRecognizing the Larger Context   The Literature Curriculum      The Child’s World     Evaluating Your Literature Program             6     Supporting Children’s Language Development           Language Development in Young Children            How Children Learn Language   How Children Become Literate     The Need to Hear Rich Language      The Need to Use Language   Goals for Teaching         Opportunities Books Offer   Exposing Children to Mature Language          Introducing New Vocabulary in Context  Encouraging Language Play and Demonstrating How Others Have Used Language Creatively            Playing with the Patterns of Language           Exploring Other Languages   Giving Children Practice in Attentive, Critical, and Appreciative Listening Skills  Leading Naturally into Reading          Encouraging Children to Respond to Books Orally            Engaging Children in a Variety of Writing Activities      Building Ideas from Types of Writing  Incorporating Visual Literacy Summary      7     Supporting Children’s Intellectual Development         Intellectual Development in Young Children  Goals for Teaching         Opportunities Books Offer           Assisting in the Acquisition and Refinement of Concepts         Developing Skill in a Variety of Thinking Processes     Expanding the Ability to Reason Logically      Encouraging Critical Thinking            Engaging in Problem Solving Summary      8     Supporting Children’s Personality Development         Personality Development in Young Children      Goals for Teaching         Opportunities Books Offer   Involving Children in Making Choices  Encouraging Children to Set and Complete Tasks       Building Self-Concept           Developing Sex-Role Expectations    Building Self-Esteem            Recognizing One’s Own Values        Summary      9     Supporting Children’s Social and Moral Development            Social and Moral Development in Young Children  Social Development  Moral Development   Goals for Teaching         Opportunities Books Offer     Giving Children Experience in Making Inferences About the Feelings and Intentions of Others     Fostering Children’s Ability to See from the Viewpoint of Others           Providing Models of Prosocial Behavior    Encouraging Children to Judge the Appropriateness of Particular Behaviors       Helping Children Learn About and Value Differences Among People     Stimulating Children to Explore Moral Problems and Ethical Questions Summary      10  Supporting Children’s Aesthetic and Creative Development   Aesthetic and Creative Development in Young Children      Creative Potential     Development in Art   Development in Music          Goals for Teaching         Opportunities Books Offer     Introducing Children to Diverse Styles of Art   Sharpening Children’s Awareness      Giving Children Experience with a Variety of Art Media            Giving Children a Variety of Musical Experiences        Stimulating Creativity in Art, Music, and Movement     Making Aesthetic and Creative Experiences Enjoyable for Children       Summary      Appendix         Author/Illustrator/Title Index    Subject Index