Module 1- Journal

As I have strong feelings regarding both of these topics, I chose to write about both choices for my first journal entry. For grading purposes, the second question's response meets the length requirements.

1. Many children's books are written to appeal more to adults than children. For which age group would this (these) books appeal? How does it meet the developmental needs of that group? Would you consider this book more appealing to adults than children or equally to both? Why?

I believe that while The Giving Tree and Love You Forever may be picture books in the traditional sense of the term, they are not children's picture books by any means. Both books deal with a subject matter that is not capable of being properly processed at a young age. While The Giving Tree has a lower possible age range, both speak to an audience with a little more life experience than the average first grader. For adults, these books speak to the growth and change we often experience whether it be in letting go of an adult aged child, or an adult age child learning to live without the constant support of a parent. The stories are able to put a potentially overly emotional situation into simple and relatable forms. It lets the adult know they are not alone in dealing with these transition situations. Because of the subject matter, these books would be wholly unappealing to the average child. Those children who do enjoy the stories may do so more because they see the enjoyment their parents experience when sharing the story. Adults on the other hand typically enjoy both of these books as a way to put into words the emotions of this time in their lives.

2. Go to the http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/test.matthew.effect.htm and read the information. Describe the Matthew Effect. Have you seen examples of this in your school or library? How will this knowledge impact your actions as a librarian?

The Matthew Effect, as so named by Keith Stanovich, speaks to the always increasing divide of the haves and the have-nots in the reading world. Stanovich believes that those with early difficulty in reading continue to fall behind in all literary endeavors as the years pass. Because of this they are unable to develop many of the literacy based skills such as increased vocabulary, broad schema building, and knowledge of the basic layout of the reading process. This is particularly true in the case of children with disabilities. As the proverbial "strikes" mount against them they are unable to recover enough to save themselves from striking out.

Because I teach the younger grades where they are just learning to read, I am not as familiar with the long term effects of reading difficulties. I do however see a sort of generational Matthew Effect with some of my students. Many of those whose own parents professed to have always struggled with reading seem to bring a blase attitude toward literary activities into the classroom prior to even beginning the reading process. Overcoming this attitude usually proves to be more of a challenge than the reading instruction itself.

As a beginning reading teacher, I am well aware that teaching the love of reading is one of the most important jobs I have throughout the year. I try to present books from different genres, authors, topics, and even languages to my class throughout the year. We read for pleasure as well as for information. In my class, going to the class library after completing work is a privilege. Along with that, reading and/or writing is never used as a form of punishment for a rule infraction. While I never had a name for the issue, I always sought to avoid the Matthew Effect in my students. As I told a parent today, "If they leave my classroom loving to read, then I can feel successful in my abilities as a teacher." As a librarian I will approach my lessons in the same manner. I will present reading as an enjoyable pastime through books that appeal to even the most reluctant readers. I will help teachers in any way I can with reluctant readers, providing the teachers with resource materials and the student with high interest selections at their working reading level.

Module 1: The Giving Tree

Summary:
The book follows both a boy and his tree through the stages of life. At every stage the tree attempts to provide they with all he may need or want for happiness. For the young boy the tree provides companionship and a playmate. As the boy continues to grow, the tree provides a source of income, a home, a method of travel, and finally- a place to rest. At each stage the tree gives all so that the boy may have what his heart desires, regardless of the cost on the part of the tree.

My Thoughts:
This book is a perfect example of how one can say so much without using many words. The author, Shel Silverstein, allows the reader to form their own connection to the story, providing many levels of possible meaning. Personally, each time I read this story I think of my Mom and how she was always there for us and tried to give us what we wanted, even if she knew we might not necessarily need it at the time. Even today, she wants to make sure I am taken care of and protected. While this book is perhaps not the most rick book in terms of language, the author effectively reaches out and draws in the reader.

Their Thoughts:
Excerpt from William Col's NYT Review (1963)
"My interpretation is that that was one dum-dum of a tree, giving everything and getting nothing in return. Once beyond boyhood, the boy is unpleasant and ungrateful, and I wouldn't give him the time of day, much less my bole. But there's a public out there who think otherwise, and Harper & Row expects to sell another 100,000 this year. And this month they are bringing out a version in French, "L'arbre au Grand Coeur." I called Ursula Nordstrom, who has been Shel's editor at Harper & Row, and asked how this all came about. Ursula, noted for finding and encouraging such artists as Maurice Sendak and Tomi Ungerer, had long ago noted Shel's "simple and direct drawings" in Playboy, and tried to get him to do a book. Shel, the hardest man in the world to pin down, didn't react until Tomi Ungerer said, "Go see Ursula." There was tremendous disagreement in the office over "The Giving Tree," one editor saying "That tree is sick! Neurotic!" They did a small first printing in 1964. Nothing much happened. Then, as Ursula says, "The body twitched". Apparently, it had been taken up by the great word-of-mouth underground with an assist from the pulpits; where it was hailed as a parable on the joys of giving, and from Shel's disk-jockey friends, a strange pairing. The book, to me, is simply a backup of "more blessed to give than to receive." My wife's interpretation, not surprisingly, is that the tree represents a mother, giving and receiving with not expectation of return. Whatever it is, it touches a sensitive point clearly and swiftly, as do other recent phenomena of Segals and seagulls."

My Ideas:
I think this book best reaches a junior high age audience. While I may intend for a lesson to go a certain way, children at the junior high level will be able to relate to the story on different levels. My initial plan would be to use it as an introduction to Earth Week. We could discuss and chart renewable vs. non-renewable resources and how we might best use them without taking them for granted as the boy did with the tree. Of course, the conversation can always lead to a different teachable moment!