Childrens+Literature

__ My Brother, Matthew __   //By: Mary Thompson//    _ This is a story about a little boy with disabilities named Matthew and his brother, David, growing up. It is told from David’s perspective. I would teach this book in my classroom through the use of a read-aloud. The book is rather long for a picture book and contains whole pages of text.   _ First, I would activate prior knowledge by asking the class if any of them have younger brothers or sisters. I would introduce the text and different types of disabilities. Then, I would read the book aloud to the class. I would stop every few passages to ask questions to help student connect to the text. Finally, I would have each student complete a graphic organizer which does a comparison of David and Matthew. **__ Don’t Forget Tom __** //By: Hanne Larsen//  _ This book is about a little boy names Tom. Tom is mentally handicapped and lives with his parents, sister and brother. The pictures in the book are photographs and story is non-fiction. This book explains what being mentally handicapped means. I would use this book in the classroom for a read-aloud. <span style="color: #f8f7f7; font-family: Georgia, serif;">_ First, before I begin to read the story I will ask my students if they have ever met or seen anyone that is mentally handicapped. I would then ask then to describe what that person was like. Then, I would read the book about Tom. I would explain to my class that Tom is just like them put that he thinks slower and needs more help and attention to learn. Finally, I would have students do a character map of Tom or of the person that they know that is mentally handicapped or has disabilities. Since this book has real photos students will be able to easily relate to Tom. This book fosters a positive reference to a mentally handicapped individual.

<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**__My Pal, Victor/ Mi Amigo Victor__** //By: Escrito por Diane Gonzales Bertrand //   <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #fdfcfc; font-family: Georgia, serif;">_ This is the story of a little boy and his friend Victor. In the story they talk about all the things they love to do together. Victor is a wonderful friend and tells amazing jokes and scary stories. At the end of the book, on the last page, it is revealed that Victor is physically handicapped. This is a great book to use in an ESOL or ESL class. Each page contains the story in both English and Spanish. <span style="font-size: 110%; color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia, serif;">_ First, when teaching this lesson I would ask the students what they see on the cover of the story. I wouldn’t perform a walk through with this book because I would want the ending to be a surprise for the class. I would used shared reading with this book so that students can make connections between the pictures, English and Spanish words. Then, after we have finished reading the book together I would have the students use a graphic organizer web to identify all the activities that the two boys enjoy doing together. They would draw a picture of the two boys together in the center of the web.

<span style="display: block; font-size: 120%; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; text-align: center;">__ The Don’t-give-up Kid and Learning Differences __ <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> //By: Jeanne Gehret, M.A. // <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> _ This picture book is about a little boy who has learning differences. He sees words different than most children and has a difficult time concentrating. He wants to be like Thomas Edison and learns that he has to keep trying till he reaches his goals. The book contains a parent resource guide in at the end of the story. <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> _ I would use this text as a read-aloud in my classroom. I would perform a walk through with students prior to reading the text. As I am reading I will also demonstrate a think-aloud. At the conclusion of the text I will have student complete a writing assignment in their journals. First they will write a paragraph about the don’t-give-up kid and what he has difficulty doing. Then, for a second paragraph they will write about something they have difficulty doing or are not good at and why it is important to not give up on something simple because it’s difficult.

<span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;"> __Big Brother Dustin__ <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia, serif;">// By: Alden R. Carter // <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> _ This is a story about Dustin and the birth of his little sister MaryAnn. He learns how to take care of her and be a good brother throughout the book. The pictures are photographs of Dustin and his family. I like this book because the pictures make it easier for other kids to relate to Dustin. <span style="font-size: 110%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> _ I would use this book in my classroom in a guided reading group. The story is fairly simple and the text is broken into short paragraphs. We would perform a walk through with the pictures and they would predict what they think is going to happen during the story. Each person in the group will read the story independently and while I go around the circle having students read orally while I perform a running record. At the conclusion of the story they will review whether their predictions were confirmed or explain what happened differently.

<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">**__ The Deaf Musicians __** <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> By: Pete Seeger and Paul Dubois Jacobs <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Illustrated by: R. Gregory Christie <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 120%; color: #fdfcfc; font-family: Georgia, serif;">_ This is the story about a man named Lee who loses his hearing. He is forced to leave his jazz band. He decides to attend a school for the deaf so that he can learn to do something new. He meets other musicians and with all their talents they begin playing music in the subway on their ride home. More people join and they quickly become a big hit. <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> _ I would use this book in my classroom for a read-aloud. The pictures are very colorful and I would play jazz music in the background. I would have students examine the title and cover; then, answer several questions related to the contents of the book. I would read the story to the students demonstrating fluency and expression in my speech. At the conclusion of the text I would have students complete a story plot graph. <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;">http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/pdf/storyplotgraph.pdf <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 130%; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;">__** I’m Deaf and It’s Okay **__ <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> // By: Lorraine Aseltine, Evelyn Mueller, and Nancy Tait // <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> // Illustrations by: Helen Cogancherry // <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> ______ T his story was written from the perspective of a little deaf boy. He talks about his experiences. People talk to him differently. He often feels left out. He feels frightened and scared when he can’t communicate to find his mother. He thinks that when he becomes an adult that he will no longer have to wear a hearing aid. His parents, teacher, and new older friend Brian explain to him that he will have to wear it when he gets older and that there is nothing wrong with that. The last few pages of the book show sign language commonly used to communicate feeling and important people. <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> ______ First, I would ask a series of questions to find out what my students already know about deaf people. Then, I would read the text to them. I would stop during the story and help them make connections between the boy’s feelings and their own. At the conclusion of the book I would have the whole class make different the sign language symbols from the text. They would get hands on experience of how deaf people communicate with others. They would also complete a describing wheel. In the center they will write the word deaf individuals and in each of the surrounding areas they will write a characteristic or tool these people commonly use. <span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/wheel_eng .pdf