Lga 3101 Ppg Module _topic 4

LGA 3101 CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

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TOPIC 4

SELECTION CRITERIA OF TEXTS FOR YOUNG LEARNERS

4.0 SYNOPSIS

This topic discusses some of the factors you should consider when choosing

books for children; children’s reading preferences and interests; visual elements

of artistic design/styles/media/techniques and the integration of visual arts and

literature; suitabality of the content in terms of culture and level of proficiency;

and moral values.

4.1 LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this Session, you will be able to:

select suitable texts for children in terms of cultural content, visual effects,

language, interest and moral values

design a checklist of criteria for book selection

4.2 FRAMEWORK OF TOPICS

Selection Criteria of Texts for Young Learners

Language level and potential

Interest

Cultural content/ suitability

Visual features

Moral Values


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Choosing the right book may be the most difficult, and most important, part of

teaching literature. In a study of the increasing popularity of using literature in the

second language classroom, Radhika O'Sullivan (1991, Selecting Literature section,

para. 1) observed that, "It is all very well to point out the advantages of teaching

literature but the key to success in using literature in the ESL classroom depends

primarily on the works selected." If the selection is too easy, students will feel bored

and you will have difficulty designing enough activities. If the selection is too difficult,

students will feel frustrated and you will be overwhelmed. There are a few factors to

consider when selecting books for children and they are discussed below.

4.2.1 Language level and potential

How do you select texts or books that are suitable for your students? The

text should neither be too difficult nor too easy for them. Thus, you might

have to consider materials that are more suitable for your students’ level of

proficiency. When selecting texts you will need to consider their readability

level. Readability refers to the combination of lexical and structural difficulty

(McRae, 1991; Nutall, 1982). A text should be at the right level of difficulty for

the students. The focus here is on the linguistic difficulty of the text which

includes both lexical and structural difficulty. Lexical difficulty refers

vocabulary or words while structural difficulty refers to the sentence length,

complexity and grammatical structures.

How do you assess the students’ language level? You need to know your

students well in order to have an accurate idea of what vocabulary and

structures that the students are familiar with. You can note down all the new

and difficult words or phrases that are found in the literary text that you are

considering for the class or the library. By doing this, you are able to gauge

the level of the language of the book for your students.


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When we assess the language level of the children’s book , we need to bear

in mind the following:

i. Is the language of the book simple and direct?

ii. Does it use simple phrases or sentence patterns,

iii. Is there a limited amount of text on each page,

iv. Does the repetitive text offer a reader-friendly experience for

English learners at a beginning proficiency level.

Students In the Malaysian classroom are of mixed ability. Therefore, it is

advisable that the teacher solve this problem by choosing books for the

majority of the class. At the same time, students at a lower level of proficiency

can be given books that are deemed suitable for them.

Age group, per say, will not necessarily render completely in your choices, as

many levels and types of levels in both reading and developmental, will

probably be presented in each group of children. Whether the books you are

choosing will be read or read to your child or group of children, will also be a

factor. Other questions to ask on your search for the right books are,

Are the books you are choosing going to provide enjoyment, an overall

positive experience, and teach them something along the way?

Will it get them asking appropriate questions?

Will you be able to draw from it or transition into other activities, if that

is a goal?

4.2.2 Visual features

When choosing books for children, it is vital to consider the visual features

that a book has. Many children mentioned the illustrations when asked about

what attracted them to a book. The bright colours of an East African setting


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may entice children into searching camouflaged animals. Jagged lines and

dark colours may excite children with the prospect of dangerous adventures

while delicate lines and pastel colours may set children to dream about

fairyland.

Line

Artist use lines to suggest direction, motion, energy and mood. Herring (1997,

p.40) in Norton (2003) defines the importance of line when he states, “I

regard line as essential to beauty in any work of art”. Lines can be thin or

wide, light or heavy, feathery or jagged; straight or curved. According to

authorities in art and art history, line is extremely important in children’s book

illustration. Feldman (1992) states that line is the most crucial element for the

following reasons:

i) Line is familiar to virtually everyone because of experience with a

drawing and writing;

ii) Line is definite, assertive, intelligible; it is precise and unambiguous; it

commits artists to specific statements;

iii) Line conveys meaning through its identification with natural

phenomena;

iv) Line leads the eye and involves viewers in the line’s “destiny”;

v) Lines permits eyes to do as children do when getting to know the

world; handle objects and feel their contours.

Feldman’s discussion of the relationship between line and natural phenomena

is relevant to people involved with children and the illustration found in

literature for them. Vertical lines, for example, look like tress in a windless

landscape or like people who stand rather than move. Consequently, they

suggest lack of movement. Horizontal lines, such as the surface of a placid

lake or a flat horizon, suggest calm, sleep, stability, and an absence of strife.

Most young children use a horizontal baseline in their drawings to convey the

idea of the firm ground upon which they walk.


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Vertical lines and horizontal lines joined at right angles depict artificial

elements that differ considerably from the natural world of irregular and

approximate shapes. In contrast, diagonal lines suggest loss of balance and

uncontrolled motion – unless they form a triangle that rests on a horizontal

base, which suggests safety. In both human design and nature, jagged lines

have connotations of breakdown and destruction. Consequently, jagged

lines suggest danger.

Colour

Colour plays an extremely important role in illustration. Combining lines and

colour is perhaps the most common way in which artists convey mood and

emotion in picture books.

Many colours are associated with natural phenomena. Red, yellow and

oranges are most associated with fire, sun and blood and they usually have

warm or hot connotations; friendliness, high energy or anger. Blues, greens

and some violets are most associated with air, water and plant life and their

coolness or coldness can suggest moods and emotions ranging from

tranquillity to melancholy.

To select children’s books, one has to evaluate the illustrator’s use of colours

by considering how well the colour language of the artist conveys or

complements the mood, characters, setting and theme that the writer

develops in words. For example, Paul Goble uses bright colours and black,

in addition to strong line, to illustrate a desert setting and the tension and

movement of animals and forces of nature in The Girl who Loved Wild

Horses. Similarly, rich, vivid colours attract attention and reinforce the happy

mood of exploration in Denise Fleming’s In The Small, Small Pond. Printed in

black the text stands out against the colourful illustration.

Shape


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Shape is defined geometrically – circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, triangles

and so on. A good artist is aware of the predominant shapes in an illustration

and these shapes help to elicit emotional reactions. Rounded shapes may

suggest emotional reactions similar to those of the curved and circular lines,

that is comfort, security, stability. Squarish, angular shapes may elicit more

excitable responses, agitation, alarm, confusion. Bemelmans’ illustration of

Madeline (refer pg 126, Figure 7.1 in Russell, 2006) contrasts the squat

shapes of the little girls with their flat, wide-brimmed hats, with the tall,

commanding shape of the nun – her figure is nearly as long as the entire line

of girls.

Texture

One of the illusions the artist creates to give a flat surface (the paper) the

characteristics of a three-dimensional surface – the suggestion of fur, wood,

grain, smooth silk, and so on. This artistic quality is referred to as texture.

An artist who wants to emphasize the realistic quality of a picture may pay

great attention to texture. For example, by using the furry texture. However,

the less realistic styles may make use of texure to enrich the visual

experience and to stimulate the viewer’s imagination.

Composition

The composition of an illustration refers to the arrangement of the details in

the picture. Composition is important to the narrative quality of the picture as

well as to its emotional impact. One of the first concern of composition is the

organization of the shapes. For example, grouping many shapes may

suggest stability, enclosure, or confinement or perhaps awkwardness. On

the other hand, lighter, delicate shapes more loosely grouped may suggest

movement, grace, freedom.

In addition to the organization of objects, artists must also consider where

best to place the focal point, from what angle the picture is to be viewed, and

what mood is to be conveyed.


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Books with a lot of visual features help provide scaffolding as students begin

by “reading the pictures.” This method can build confidence and

independence—clearly, an important consideration in building a “just right”

library for English learners (Hadaway, Vardell, & Young, 2002). In addition,

teachers might want to try a stairstep approach with picture books that

address the same topic or theme at various levels of complexity. Repetition of

vocabulary and ideas is an excellent technique for language development. For

instance, when studying wolves, teachers might begin with Jim Arnosky’s

Wolves (2001). This book provides a simple introduction to wolves with one

line of text per two-page illustrated spread.

4.2.3 Interest

Interest is an extremely important factor to be considered when selecting texts

for children. Margaret Early (1992/1993) states, “Decades of experience have

shown that children are more likely to develop as thoughtful readers when

they are pursuing content that interests them.”

The results of a good number of studies reveal agreement of types of subject

matter that appeal to students of a particular age level and support the notion

that interests change with age. Monson and Sebesta (1991), found that

children in the first and second grade (age between 6-8 years old) prefer

stories about animals, nature, fantasy while children in the third and fourth

grade (age between 8-10 years old) continue to be interested in nature and

animals and begin to develop interest in adventure and familiar experiences.

Boys and girls also seem to have different interests. Boys in the fifth and sixth

grade are interested in war, travel and mystery while girls prefer animal

stories westerns and fairy tales. As they grow older, boys prefer science

fiction, mysteries, adventure stories, biographies, history and stories about

animals and sports. In contrast, girls prefer mysteries; romances; stories

about animals, religion, careers, humorous stories and biographies. Both girls

and boys have an increased interest in historical fiction, romantic fiction,


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nonfiction and books dealing with adolescence. On the whole, all children like

books that contain humour and adventure.

While this information can provide some general ideas about what subjects

and authors that children of certain ages, sexes and reading abilities prefer,

teachers should not develop stereotyped views about children’s preferences.

Without asking questions about interests, there is no way to learn for

example, what a ten year old child likes to read since research into children’s

interest does not indicate that a ten year old child likes to read Shakespeare’s

plays. Therefore, informal conversation is one of the simplest ways to uncover

children’s interests. Ask a child to describe what he or she likes to do and

read about. Usually, teachers should record this information when working a

number of children.

4.2.4 Cultural content/suitability

It is important that the content of the book should be interesting enough for

the students to want to read it (Wallace, 1999; Nutall, 1992). There are

differences in what will captivate and delight different readers. Whatever it is,

children’s literature book should motivate the students to read on. The

content also needs to be familiar enough so that students have the relevant

schemata or prior knowledge. The content should be written in such a way

that it challenges the student’s thinking and promotes new knowledge or

perceptions. Ideally, the content should also not be culturally biased.

Rafiah (2000), states that to help readers in comprehending text, the content

of text must be culturally familiar to the students especially at the initial

stage. Second language readers with a low level proficiency or beginners

need to be given texts that are culturally related to help in understanding.

This is because if the language is simple and they can associate the content

to their culture, comprehension will be easier to take place. However, readers

with high level proficiency or fluent readers can be given text that are

culturally unrelated because fluent readers can both identify forms and


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interpret meanings. Fluent readers pay more attention to overall prediction of

meaning rather than reading word by word.

Reading texts which have ideas far beyond the students' comprehension

would be deemed unsuitable. If the students are given a culturally unfamiliar

text, they would have difficulty in effective comprehending because they

presuppose cultural background knowledge and experiences that they do

not have. Therefore, teachers need to be careful in text selection

especially if the students come from diversed cultural background. Fiction

titles that spring from the students’ cultures are ideal in providing familiarity

for ease of comprehension as well as for identifying with story characters.

4.2.5 Moral values

Acquiring moral standards is an important part of a child’s social development.

Preschool children start to develop concepts of right and wrong when they

identify with their parents and with parental values, attitudes, and standards

of conduct.

There are so many books out there that we can read to our children to help

teach them important values in life. It’s hard sometimes to see what the value

may be in some books, so we want to make sure that what we are teaching

our children is important and something we ourselves hold dear.

Literature that has been written especially for children reflects the philosophy

of the culture in which it is written. The purpose is to entertain, teach a

valuable life lesson and lay a foundation for future learning. Puritan children's

literature was intended to provide religious and moral education, but in

modern times that purpose has diminished in importance, and the focus has

turned to teaching children about valuing themselves and respecting others.

Values can be communicated to children at all stages of development. Even

early as the first stage, birth to kindergarten, children become familiar with


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literature through "nursery rhymes, folktales, picture books, cereal boxes and

anything else that shows that fun and profit can be gained from the printed

word. Children at the concrete operations stage between grades three to six

can learn great truths while experiencing imaginative works of literature for the

sheer joy they provide.

Children’s literature contains moments of crisis, when characters make moral

decisions and contemplate the reasons for their decisions. If adults expect

children to understand the decision-making process of characters in a story,

they should be aware of the level of the decisions that the characters are

making and consider whether or not the children are at a stage when they can

appreciate those decisions.

Based on the above discussion, it is pertinent that when selecting children’s

books, teachers need to ensure that there are moral values which children

can distinguished from the characters, plot or themes. Apart from that,

highlighting moral values amongst children is necessary as it part of the

Malaysian primary school curriculum. Moral values need to be mentioned

explicitly after children have read their books.

Books selected for English second language learners should be appropriate

for the age and interest level of the children. This task is more complex than it

sounds because the typical grade level suitability may not apply. The maturity,

backgrounds (family, cultural, language, and knowledge), and interests of

these learners vary tremendously from rural to urban.

Therefore, when evaluating potential books, teachers should look at:

The length and complexity of the story. Simple, short stories with

repetitive language work best for young learners.

Does the book look overwhelming? Type that is too small, or too many

words on a page, can intimidate young students.


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The level of vocabulary. How much of it will be review for your students?

If students know less than 75% - 80% of the vocabulary, they may lose

confidence in their ability to understand the story.

Illustrations should be interesting and should help students understand

both the vocabulary and the story.

Finally, select a book that you think you will enjoy. It will be difficult to

convince students to be enthusiastic about a story you don't like.

Task 1

In your folio, record what you understand by line, colour, shape, composition and

texture?

For further reading on this topic: 1. Chapter 7, Russell, L. (2005). Literature For Children. A Short Introduction.

2. Chapter , Norton, D.E. (2006). Through the eyes of a child. An introduction to

Children’s Literature.

Task 2

1. Design a checklist for selecting texts for young learners. What key features would you include? 2. Look at the texts selected in Tutorial 1. Do they meet the criteria in your

checklist?


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REFERENCES

Brown, (2004) Using Chlidren’s literature with young learners. The Internet TESL

Journal, 10:2. Retrieved from http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Brown

ChildrensLit.html

Mcrae, J. (1991). Literature with a small ‘l’. London: MacMillan Publishers.

Norton, D.E. (2006). Through the eyes of a child. An introduction to Children’s

Literature. (6th Ed.). New Jersey: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Nutall, C. (1987). Teaching skills in a foreign language. London: Heinemann.

Rafiah Abdul Rahman. (2000). The effect of cultural familiarity on reading

comprehension performance. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Universiti

Putra Malaysia.

Russell, D.L. (2005). Literature For Children. A Short Introduction. (5th Ed.)

Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Vardell, S.M., Hadaway, N.L. & Yong, T.A. (2006). Matching books and readers:

Selecting literature for English learners. The Reading Teacher, pp. 734-741,

59:8.

Babbley, F. (2012). What factors and criteria to consider when selecting and

evaluating books for children. Retrieved on July 15 2012 from

http://friedababbley.hubpages.com/hub/factors-for-selecting-and-evaluating-

books-for-children

Take a break first before you move on to the next topic. Prepared by: Rafiah Abdul Rahman, PhD IPG Kampus Tun Hussein Onn

Lga 3101 Ppg Module _topic 4

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