Using Your Library
Explicitly teaching life skills as well as literacy skills increases children's self-awareness and self-confidence, helps them with decision-making, and helps them form healthier social relationships. Literature can offer a perfect tool for teaching these skills. Students can analyze complex literary characters, discussing character feeling, thought, decision-making, action, growth, and change throughout a story. Below are some tips for incorporating life and literacy skills instruction into your literacy block.
WHOLE-CLASS READING A whole-class read-aloud is especially effective for introducing a skill or concept that every student needs to learn. • Before reading, front-load with
information you want students to focus on. This could be vocabulary
words, a skill, a concept, a related text, a picture or video, a story element, or a character trait. • Differentiate between a character trait and a feeling. Have students practice identifying both!
• Have students evaluate character perspectives, motivations, and decisions. What could the character have done differently? At which point? Why? How would it change the story? • PreK and Kindergarten: After reading aloud, invite students to share what they admired most about the characters in the story.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BOOK TALKS A book talk includes the title, author, and enough information about the book to interest your students. An enticing “hook” can capture attention in the classroom. You may choose to hook readers by talking about the cover, sharing a quote from the book, or reading an intriguing opening passage. Ask students to discuss. Would they be compelled to pick up the book and read? What would they like to find out about the book?
14 • Byron V. Garrett Life and Literacy Skills Library
BVG_LLSL_TG.indd 14
6/8/23 9:20 PM
Teacher’s Guide Sampler 11
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs