Bringing Critical Literacy Alive

 

THINKERS AND PERFORMERS

BRINGING CRITICAL THINKING ALIVE  

AUTHOR ELIZABETH SIMON

There are Three (3) books in one!

Investigation of children’s fictional literature

Inquiry and research

Critical literacy book clubs

Today, I am discussing  Investigation of children’s fictional literature intended for year 2+ students. A participant in a workshop I gave, voiced, "I can use this for my year 4 children" and I have to agree with him. 

Explicit teaching is the pedagogy. Before beginning the programme, introductory skills are taught. For example, children learn to self question, to probe for more information, ' 'What will happen if...' and most importantantly they learn to ask open ended qestions, 'to ensure that different interpretations and points of view can be forwarded', How might? How will? and so on.

Another study skill is children forming reasoned opinions.

One of the topics is, 'Animals portrayed as people'. There is a programme plan beginning with a shared experience and an essential question is the focus. Activities  revolve around analysis, cause and effect (critical thinking) and thinking of alternative possibilities (creative thinking).  

The extension of the title of the book is, 'Thinkers and Performers'. While studying  A Birthday for Frances, the children performed behind a large cardboard television screen. They prepared Interview questions, created lateral thinking questions - the birthday was for Frances's sister, but Russell Hoban called the book A Birthday for Frances - why did he do that?

Each story has links to other curriculum areas and of course an evaluation based on the question, Is it important how people behave.

Importantly, the suggested activities have children working in collaborative groups.  Appropriate behaviour is pre-skillled before they do so. 

Publisher:    Hawker Brownlow Education

                    P.O. Box 580 Moorabbin, Victoria 3189
                    

                    ISBN: 978 1 74239 274 5 Code: HB2745

More about the book are in my blog 24.2.22