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From: Cindy Moushegian <cmoushegian@mckinneytexas.org>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:3131] RE: children's literature request
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Helmer,
Thank you so much for the extensive information. I am taking your list and
going shopping today! I really appreciate the help.
Cindy Moushegian
McKinney Can Read
-----Original Message-----
From: Helmer Duverge [mailto:hduverge@famlit.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 3:55 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:3125] children's literature request
Cindy, Betty Ansin Smallwood with the Center for Applied Linguistics makes
the following recommendations
Book Selection Criteria for the Adult ESL Classroom.
Picture books are particularly useful in adult ESL classes because they
provide clear and interesting illustrations along with the reading text.
Their length (typically around 30 pages) allows them to be read in one class
period. Selection is critical, as not all books are equally successful with
English learners, and those appropriate for adults learning English form an
even smaller subset. Teachers should use the following questions as a guide
to evaluate a book's appropriateness for adult learners.
· Does it relate to your curricular objectives? These can include a
focus on
social, cultural, or political topics; life skills; thematic vocabulary; or
grammatical structures.
· Does it feature adults? Does it have some adult protagonists,
address
mature themes, or convey universal messages?
· Are there clear illustrations that help tell the story?
· Does it contain repeated, predictable language patterns? Language
patterns
can include rhyming as well as repetition of words, refrains, or entire
sentences.
· Does it use language that is slightly beyond the level of the
learners?
Both the amount of text and the level of syntactic complexity should be
considered.
· Is there authentic cultural content?
Teaching Strategies
The reading process can be divided into three stages (before, during, and
after the reading) that can easily fit into a 45-minute period.
Before/Prereading. The teacher may need to first explain and justify the use
of children's books. The story is then briefly introduced, key vocabulary is
previewed, and some key illustrations or characters may be highlighted.
Learners are invited to predict the story from the cover and other clues.
The teacher poses specific listening tasks, such as identifying a particular
theme or the use of specific structures. These motivational strategies
involve learners in the book and help connect it to other experiences,
literary or real-life.
During/Reading aloud. The way to engage a class in a book is to read it
aloud with expression. The teacher can also use the following strategies:
move slowly around the room; take time to show the pictures; modify the
language of the text as needed to facilitate comprehension; and pause
occasionally for dramatic effect, to highlight new words or concepts, or to
check for comprehension.
After/Discussion and Review. At the completion of the oral reading, the
teacher should allow ample time for reflection and discussion. To encourage
spontaneous reactions ask, "What do you think?" or pose more specific
questions to focus the discussion. It is also important to discuss the theme
or structures identified in the prereading stage. An oral comprehension
check can serve as a review of the story and as an informal assessment.
To build the reading-writing connection, students can record their
reflections in a journal. They can copy the title, author, and date at the
top of the page and then write briefly about their favorite part, how the
story made them feel, something they learned from the story, or a similar
incident that happened to them. They can share these reflections orally, as
appropriate.
Extension Activities
Learner-centered literacy activities, from round robin story telling, to
rewriting book endings, to composing stories stimulated by the book, can
follow the initial reading (Smallwood, 1991; Tomlinson & McGraw, 1997). For
example, with 26 Letters and 99 Cents (Hoban, 1987), a basic literacy class
can practice sound/letter associations (phonics) in student-made
concentration games. After reading A Flag for My Country (Spenser, 1993), a
low-intermediate class can sequence the story with sentence strips and play
Bingo using past tense verbs from the book. A high-intermediate class that
has read Fly Away Home (Bunting, 1991), a story about a boy and his father
who are homeless and living in an airport, might rewrite the story from the
father's perspective and then discuss or role play the various conflicts in
the story.
Ms. Smallwood also recommends the following books:
Recommended Books for Adult ESL Classes
This book list was developed from the six selection criteria for adult
learners described above. To help teachers effectively integrate literature
in their classrooms, an English proficiency level was identified for each
book, based on grammatical structures in the California standards for adult
ESL education programs (California Department of Education, 1992). The
proficiency levels also reflect the amount of text per page, overall
complexity of language and vocabulary, and level of the story's concreteness
(vs. abstractness). These levels are meant to guide teachers, not limit
them; therefore, teachers are encouraged to try any of these books with any
group of students, editing, simplifying, or amplifying as needed.
Literacy Level
Hoban, T. (1987). 26 letters and 99 cents. New York: Greenwillow Books. This
book is useful for basic literacy focusing on numbers and money, letters,
and pictures. Its large, clear pictures suggest many teaching applications.
See also other basic concept books by the author (e.g., I Read Signs, 1983).
Hoban, T. (1997). Construction zone. New York: Greenwillow Books. This book
is simple and clear. There is a picture of one piece of construction
machinery and one word per two-page spread. More vocabulary for construction
workers is provided at the back of the book.
Pomeroy, D. (1996). One potato. A counting book of potato prints. New York:
Harcourt Brace. Each number (1-10, 20, 30, etc.) is associated with
attractive food, and each two-page spread is illustrated by an appetizing
potato print.
Siddals, M. K. (1997). Tell me a season. Illustrated by P. Mathers. The
vocabulary of seasons, colors, and nouns from nature comprises the minimal
text in this simple book. This book can also be used to introduce
adjectives.
Beginning Level
Linden, A.M. (1992). One smiling grandma. A Caribbean counting book.
Illustrated by L. Russell. New York: Dial. This is an intergenerational
story that would suit a family literacy class.
Low, W. (1997). Chinatown. New York: Henry Holt. Simple sentences and
descriptive illustrations capture daily life in New York's Chinatown.
Celebration of Chinese New Year is highlighted. The author/artist is from
Chinatown.
Miranda, A. (1997). To market, to market. Illustrated by J. Stevens. New
York: Harcourt Brace. This adult spoof on the classic children's nursery
rhyme has a repeated refrain, rhyming words, and food and animal vocabulary.
Morris, A. (1992). Houses and homes. Photographs by K. Heyman. New York:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Stunning, color photographs and limited text present
homes around the world. See also Bread, bread, bread (1989), by the same
author, photographer, and publisher, done with the same mature style and
multicultural approach.
Low-Intermediate Level
Cox, J. (1998). Now we can have a wedding. Illustrated by D. DiSalvo-Ryan.
New York: Holiday House. An inter-ethnic wedding is planned, and friends and
fellow tenants in their apartment building prepare food from around the
world for the celebration.
Garland, S. (1993). The lotus seed. Illustrated by T. Kiuchi. New York:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. A single lotus seed provides continuity for a
Vietnamese family. The granddaughter tells her grandmother's emotional and
traumatic story in one to two sentences per page in a semi-poetic format.
Some challenging language and vocabulary is included.
Garza. C.L. (1996). In my family/En mi familia. San Francisco, CA:
Children's Book Press. These authentic vignettes of family life in south
Texas, by the author and illustrator, a famous Mexican-American artist, are
simply written, with one topic per page. This is the sequel to Family
pictures (1989), by the same author and publisher.
Sakai, K. (1990). Sachiko means happiness. Illustrated by T. Arai.
Emeryville, CA: Children's Book Press. In this Japanese family, roles
change, as the grandmother begins to lose her memory and her granddaughter
learns to accept her as she now is.
Say, A. (1993). Grandfather's journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. This story
is about the author's grandfather, who journeyed between his two
cultures--Japanese and American. The sparse text has some challenging
vocabulary and syntax.
Spenser, E. (1993). A flag for our country. New York: Steck-Vaughn. This
simply told story of Betsy Ross and the making of the American flag has some
difficult grammatical patterns. It is good for citizenship and American
history classes.
High-Intermediate Level
Bartone, E. (1996). American too. Illustrated by T. Lewin. New York:
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. An Italian-American adolescent girl bridges two
cultures. New York City in the early 20th century comes alive with Lewin's
artistry. See also Peppe the lamplighter (1993), by the same author and
publisher, about an Italian-American boy who proudly works in a menial job
to help his family.
Bresnick-Perry, R. (1992). Leaving for America. Illustrated by M. Reisberg.
San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press. Based on a true story, this
Russian-Jewish immigration saga highlights the trauma of leaving home. The
inter-generational story has a detailed story line and some complex sentence
patterns.
Bunting, E. (1991). Fly away home. Illustrated by R. Himler. New York:
Clarion Books. This story about homelessness has some grammatical
complexity. See also The wall (1990), by the same author, illustrator, and
publisher, about the Vietnam memorial.
Kurtz, J., & Kurtz, C. (1997). Only a pigeon. New York: Simon & Schuster.
This journey into the urban life of modern Addis Ababa is told through the
eyes of an Ethiopian adolescent boy who works, goes to school, and proudly
raises pigeons. The prose is enhanced by realistic, soft watercolor
paintings.
Lewin, T. (1997). Fair! New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard. Lewin's large,
colorful and detailed illustrations accompany text about an American
cultural experience, the county fair. This book introduces a lot of
vocabulary in a number of verb tenses.
Maestro, B. (1996). Coming to America. The story of immigration. Illustrated
by S. Ryan. New York: Scholastic. This illustrated history of immigration is
historically accurate, yet simplified for a picture book format. It provides
additional information at the end of the book (e.g., a table of dates).
Orr, K. (1990). My grandpa and the sea. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.
The wisdom of a simple fisherman is honored in this story, set on the
Caribbean island of St. Lucia. The intergenerational conflict lends itself
to class discussion.
Advanced Level
Ashabranner, B. (1993). Still a nation of immigrants. Photographs by J.
Ashabranner. New York: Cobblehill/Dutton. This 125-page book explores the
issues of immigration today. It is divided into chapters and also smaller
subsections, so a teacher can easily select a 3-5-page passage for classroom
use. It highlights successful immigrants from a range of cultures. Black and
white photographs enhance the text.
Nye, N. S. (1996). The same sky. A collection of poems from around the
world. New York: Alladin. This selection of short, original poems was
written by children and adults from all over the world. It is organized into
topics (e.g., families, dreams, and dreamers). Marketed as a children's
book, the poetry has appeal for all ages.
Good luck,
Helmer A. Duvergé
Family Literacy Training Specialist
National Center for Family Literacy
325 West Main Street, Suite 200
Louisville, KY 40202-4251
(502) 584-1133 x145
Fax: (502) 584-0172
hduverge@famlit.org
www.famlit.org
-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-family@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-family@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of
Meta W Potts
Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 3:06 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:3121] Re: children's literature request
Cindy Moushegian wrote:
> My name is Cindy and I work with a family literacy program in McKinney
> Texas. I am bringing adult esl learners together with their kids to use
> children's books to enhance their English skills. (and to encourage them
to
> read to their kids) I need suggestions on books to read with the
families.
> I need books with very simple text that the parents will enjoy. Most of
the
> parents we work with speak almost no English. Any input or suggestions
would
> be appreciated!
>
> Cindy Moushegian
> McKinney Can Read
> McKinney Memorial Public Library
To Cindy and others,
I'm sure you will get many postings about the use of children's lit in your
program (one of my favorite topics), so I am going to give you some
information
and suggestions that I haven't seen on this list in the past and something
that
I think will benefit all of you.
(1) Write to Read To Me International Foundation at 1833 Kalakaua Ave,
Ste
301, Honolulu, HI 96815 for pamphlets and book lists, or visit their
Website:
www.readtome-intl.com
(2) Investigate the co-language books at Richard C. Owen Publishers, Inc.
P.O. Box 585 Katohah, NY. I found these a few years ago and hope they are
still in print. Two versions of each book in very simple text, for
example:
a. Dragonflies
b. Libélulas
a. The Fox
b. El zorro
a. Night Walk
b. Caminando por la noche
There are several others in this series, as well.
(3) Look at the alphabet books, a separate book for each letter, one word
on
each page of real photographs from Steck-Vaughn Co in Austin, TX.
(4) If you are attempting to use the Equipped for the Future,
Standards-based
approach with your adults, write to the EFF National Center , for a
correlation
of children's literature with the EFF Common Activities.
Equipped for the Future National Center
5766 Shibles Hall
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5766
Cindy, this is the most fun you will ever have, helping parents develop the
skills to read to their children with meaning, emphasis and expression.
All the Best,
Meta Potts
Glendale, AZ
>
>
>
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