EDU 235 - Children’s Literature

Credit(s) 3.00
Lecture Hours: 3.00
This course is designed primarily for the student planning to enter elementary and/or middle school level teaching. The student will develop an understanding of why and what children read, and acquire criteria for the selection of reading material for children’s and youth’s recreational and curriculum enrichment. Students will investigate how to identify, evaluate, and utilize quality children’s literature for teaching in the classroom.

SLOs:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Explain key concepts of the history of children’s literature through the 21st century.
Explain how children’s literature developed within broader philosophical, literary, and social contexts.
Demonstrate the ability to evaluate literature for early childhood, elementary, and secondary readers for quality and appropriateness.
Develop a broad knowledge of the various genres and types of books for children, including the major authors and illustrators of these books.
Analyze various cultural and societal value and/or belief systems in regard to their impact on children’s texts.
Examine the role of literature in the lives of children.
Identify a wide variety of resources available in order to access quality texts for children.
Access various reference sources of information on children’s literature.
Discuss the First Amendment rights of children, their rights to reading materials, and the difference between selection and censorship.
Compose reading lessons that demonstrate a differentiated approach to children’s experiences with literature.
Identify appropriate literature to content standards set by the school district and the state.