Teaching Literature to Adolescents

By Richard Beach, Deborah Appleman, Susan Hynds, Jeffrey Wilhelm

Price: $36.95

ISBN: 978-0-8058-4195-4
Binding: Paperback
Published by: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
Publication Date: 19th July 2006
Pages: 296

About the Book

This text for pre-service and in-service English education courses presents current methods of teaching literature to middle and high school students. The methods are based on social-constructivist/socio-cultural theories of literacy learning, and incorporate research on literary response conducted by the authors.

Teaching Literature to Adolescents – a totally new text that draws on ideas from the best selling textbook, Teaching Literature in the Secondary School, by Beach and Marshall – reflects and builds on recent key developments in theory and practice in the field, including:

the importance of providing students with a range of critical lenses for analyzing texts and interrogating the beliefs, attitudes, and ideological perspectives encountered in literature;
organization of the literature curriculum around topics, themes, or issues;
infusion of multicultural literature and emphasis on how writers portray race, class, and gender differences;
use of drama as a tool for enhancing understanding of texts;
employment of a range of different ways to write about literature;
integration of critical analysis of film and media texts with the study of literature;
blending of quality young adult literature into the curriculum; and
attention to students who have difficulty succeeding in literature classes due to reading difficulties, disparities between school and home cultures, attitudes toward school/English, or lack of engagement with assigned texts or response activities.

Thoughtfully designed to draw readers into interacting with the text, each chapter is organized around a specific question English educators frequently hear in working with pre-service and in-service teachers, and includes a Case Narrative that frames discussion of the issue that is the focus of the chapter. Many chapters include teacher narratives or lesson plans that demonstrate how a teacher implements the proposed methods. All chapters conclude with an Action Research Activity or Portfolio Reflection Activity, and an Additional Online Activities, Links, and Further Reading Suggestions box directing readers to the Teaching Literature Web site designed to be used in conjunction with this text. The interactive Web site (www.teachingliterature.org) contains recommended readings, resources, and activities; links to Web sites and PowerPoint presentations; and opportunities for readers to contribute teaching units to the Web site databases.

Instructors and students in middle and high school English methods courses will appreciate the clear, engaging, useful integration of theory, methods, and pedagogical features offered in this text.

Reviews

"Teaching Literature to Adolescents provides chapter after chapter to help preservice English teachers prepare themselves to be more effective in the classroom...[It] explains ways to get students fully engaged in the literature classroom--interpreting, discussing, and writing about literature...[The] authors may say it's for preservice English teachers, but don't kid yourself--new and veteran teachers alike can benefit from the text and its related website."

--"Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy", October 2007

Contents: Preface. Goals for Teaching Literature: What Does It Mean to Teach Literature? Understanding Students' Individual Differences: Who Are My Students? Planning and Organizing Literature Instruction: How Do I Decide What to Teach? Using Drama to Foster Interpretation: How Can I Help Students Read Better? Leading Classroom Discussions of Literature: How Do I Get Students to Talk About Literature? Using Narratives in the Classroom for Both Teaching and Learning Literature: What's the Use of Story? Teaching Text and Task-Specific Strategies: How Does the Shape of a Text Change the Shape of My Teaching? Teaching the Classics: Do I Have to Teach the Canon, and If So, How Do I Do It? Multiple Perspectives to Engage Students With Literature: What Are Different Ways of Seeing? Teaching Media Literacy: What Else Is a Text and How Do I Teach It? Assessing and Evaluating Students' Learning: How Do I Know What Students Have Learned? Text Selection, Censorship, Creating an Ethical Classroom Environment, and Teacher Professionalism: How Do I Stay in Control, Out of Trouble, and Continue to Develop as a Teacher?