Integrating Children’s Literature in Elementary Mathematics

Almerico, G. M. (2013). Linking children’s literature with social studies in the elementary curriculum. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 11, 1-13.

This Journal discusses the information linked to consolidating good literature composed for youngsters into the instruction of social studies at the elementary schools.  Exploration in the past decade shows the huge effect of curriculum principles for the social studies as established by certified institutions.  Educators at present are to teach social studies as set by these principles. The common principles are those established by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).

The National Council for the Social Studies encourage utilizing children literature to teach as well as strengthen the social studies. The standards as the article outlines are centered on ten themes of social studies.  The ten themes integrate field of study that matches with one or more appropriate subjects.  NCSS thinks that effectual social studies syllabuses entail the theme of culture; it centers on the fact that human beings create ethnicity as a means of understanding of their societal and physical worlds. Time, progression, and transformation is a topic that aids the understudies in understanding that change is unavoidable even though there is permanence, the past influences the present. Populace, places, and surroundings are a theme that aids the student in comprehending that individuals exist in diverse environments.   Personal development and character center on the relevant of personal growth and the correlations of people to other people that live in their social world.   There are relevant themes as well such as individual groups and institution, power, authority and governance, science, technology and society, global world as well as civic ethics and rites. All these serve to educate the children on the outer world and all its facets. 

 To incorporate literature in social studies is very crucial as it offers the children chance to find themselves in the character they encounter or situations that take place. Incorporating literature helps in expanding children understanding of human occurrences and gives them insider’s viewpoint to the emotions of those occurrences. It also allows them to correlate characters in the world history and to link present and historical incidents to their individual encounters. Educators can introduce learners to a huge assortment of children’s literature, imaginary tale and informative content that builds comprehension, and abilities in the social studies. The methodologies shared may be utilized with books across topics outlined by NCSS.

Paquette, K. R. (2007). Encouraging primary students’ writing through children’s literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(2), 155-165.

Children get many benefits by actively being engaged in first-class children’s literature as well as picture books, which offer a ordinary means of motivating student’s writing. Mutual books encounter in groups can result in significant writing conversations and applications.  Picture books serve as examples of effective writings ad offers a way of understudies incorporating writing features into their original works.  When primary understudies’ writing is motivated by first-rate picture books, youngsters get benefits both in social circles and academics. Children in elementary school enjoy listening to stories, however, writing them becomes a problem.

As the article articulates, children ought to be motivated using picture books.  Employment of high-quality picture book in classrooms offers several advantages. Additionally, it captures students’ attention, accommodates differences, and provokes conversation. It can be a path to inspire and connect student writers.  Teachers also ought to help the students to identify purposeful writing for instance in greeting cards, ads, maps, postcards among others. It ought to be word rich. Teachers ought to educate the students on how to connect literature with a trait of ideas that is examining the heart of the message.  For instance, imagining classrooms and asking the students to draw plans helps them in visualizing particulars.  Other connections in writing entail connection literature with organization that is organizing their work meticulous for easy reading. Students are also encouraged to write as they feel writers’ energy; enthusiasm ought to be felt in the works.

Word choice is also important. It motivates the writers to think of the best way to communicate their ideas. Another facet is linking literature to the attribute of sentence fluency. Writers shall realize that a blend of short and snappy sentences and long sentences aids in making writing more interesting particularly when read aloud.  There is also the connection of literature to the facet of conventions where it focuses on correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization and general grammar.  Employing high-quality children’s literature selections is a superb way of encouraging student writing. Teachers, as the journal states, ought to offer purposeful writing opportunities to link with understudies’ interests to improve their literature admiration and to broaden their writing abilities.

Thomas, L., & Feng, J. (2015). Integrating children’s literature in elementary mathematics. Savannah, GA: Annual Meeting of the Georgia Educational Research Association.

Mathematical concepts can be difficult for children at elementary school; this article attempts to outline how teachers can be trained to use children’s literature for math education.  A chosen quality children’s literature could be efficiently used in elementary math instruction to enhance student math achievement. Teachers nowadays incorporate more of children’s literature in the mathematics classrooms. Employment of literature offers a context for the understudies. Students are able to develop comprehension of when, why and how a particular math concept is employed when children’s literature is used in math.   The article states that students are more connected, interested and keep in mind math ideas more when they are put in a story like way.  Professional development sessions have given teachers confidence in using children’s literature within math classes.  Math is a difficult subject to instruct and learn since its many theories are intangible. Children’s literature allows easy understanding of these concepts. 

For special need children, math can really prove difficult, however following the utilization of literature in form of stories, special needs children can remember the information and can apply their math knowledge.  Mathematics and language arts have a strong correlation. Consolidating language arts and math is an excellent instructional methodology for teachers to utilize particularly via the usage of children’s literature. The employment of language arts with math may advance student’s learning as they are expressing their math ideas and reasoning via spoken and written words. 

Tyra, C. (2012). Bringing books to life: Teaching character education through children’s literature. Rising Tide, 5, 1-10.

Majority of the teachers use children literature to develop knowledge and fascinate the student in the upcoming lessons. Children literature as the journal states can be used in teaching character education since it is an efficient technique for educating kids. Character education is a crucial facet of youngster’s learning since it enlightens them on various social as well as ethical issues.  Accommodations are offered to special needs children to guarantee that they have access to the curriculum. These understudies might additionally receive special educational services. Sadly this might bring issues with other students in social circles. Some understudies might think that accommodations are not fair since those students get extra time or other privileges.

Since the students getting accommodation ought not to be segregated by the educator, the teachers must not inform the other understudies why some are getting the accommodations. It might be hard to tell the non-special needs students what accommodation is and why it is offered.  These elucidations are tricky since the tutor is not able to share information about the understudies getting the accommodation due to privacy. This goes to the aspect of fairness. It can be hard to explain to a youngster such things.   Character education is used in numerous schools to motivate student’s acceptance of virtues like fairness. Sadly, numerous understudies might not find character education as having an influence since it is not frequently incorporated in classrooms. Children’s literature, on the other hand, is used every day in the classroom as opposed to character education. Children’s literature is employed to teach an array, ethics, notions, as well as ideals. Therefore, the author states that children’s literature is an excellent instrument for training character education. 

Almerico, G. M. (2014). Building character through literacy with children’s literature. Research in Higher Education Journal, 26.

Character education is depicted as prospectus that is specially established to school the kids on the superiority as well as features of noble character. A way through which the children know about this is via high-quality children’s education. The writer of this article attempts to define the attributes of an efficient character development curriculum for grade k-6 founded on children’s literature.  This article emphasizes on ways in which literature could be incorporated to help in developing character attributes in a meaningful way.  Character education is deliberately helping in building a dignified personality and nurtures crucial ideals that are admirable for the person and the general public.

 The advantages of character education are many even extending to the obvious outcomes of being a nice person and dependable citizen. Additionally, character development aids the students in improving academic performances and communication abilities, therefore, advancing a sense of autonomy and self-assurance.  The effects of character education result in the establishment of believing on learning settings where understudies have high confidence and self-esteem and respect others. 

Even though character education is quite beneficial, there is the challenge of obtaining the right materials. The government through the department of education offers funds which mandate for character education. Some schools though have constrained resources and time limitations.  Character education, therefore, should be mandatory.  Its concepts ought to be taught within the scope of literature so that students learn that attributes such as reverence, integrity, bravery, as well as compassion are factual and fascinating facets of the humanity. 

Quality literature with character development ideas has the ability to establish, outline as well as strengthen temperaments necessary for inculcating in understudies vital core moral principles. Establishing character centered syllabus that integrates superior children’s literature with effectual literacy teaching is a hard undertaking. Educators hence are confronted with the predicament of obtaining books that shall teach both character and literacy concepts.  The department of education has helped in publishing a list of books that can be quite helpful in teaching both concepts of character and literacy.

Biskin, D., & Hoskisson, K. (1974). Moral development through children’s literature. The Elementary School Journal, 75(3), 153-157.

Education is tasked with the responsibility of molding an individual and his capabilities and aiding them to be contributing members of the society. For children, their values develop during their school years, and therefore they have to be taught about the good values and how to treat others. Values are influenced by the structures in schools, adults in schools, and the correlations of all people involved.

Teachers and other adults who work with children know that these values cannot be controlled by external sources. It is, therefore, reasonable to assist the youngsters in developing a mean of establishing positive and significant moral choices.  Children’s literature can be employed in developing moral awareness. Prior to the moral dilemmas in children’s literature being explored, there are phases of moral development of participants in the story and moral matters in the story that have to be identified. The teacher, therefore, has to guide the students through different stages and understanding what is required of them.

Lu, M. Y. (1998). Multicultural children’s literature in the elementary classroom. Bloomington, ID: Indiana University.

Mei Yu Lu in this article explores the significance of multicultural literature. Good multicultural literatures reflect the several facets of a culture, its ideals, beliefs, practices and help the children appreciate the diversity that is in the world. An excellent book for children helps them learn about cultures that they have not encountered or even those that were in place centuries ago. Incorporation of multicultural children’s literature aids children in appreciating different cultures, eliminating cultural ethnocentrism.  Quality literature regarding certain ethnic group is beneficial to minority children. By use of multicultural books on their own culture, children have the chance to see how other people go about experiences same as theirs, form strategies to tackle issues in their lives and appreciate their own culture.

Short, K. (2011). Reading literature in elementary classrooms. In Wolf, S., Coats, K., Ensico, P., Jenkins, S. (Eds.) Handbook of research in children’s and young adult literature (pp. 48-62). New York, NY: Routledge.

The author articulates the importance of creating practices of literary reading, which bolsters children’s interest in reading processes, enjoyment in personal reading and engagement in a vital inquiry on the depictions, and thesis literature presents. An inquiry standpoint to literature and curriculum wants the children to look meaning for the class content in individual and cultural ways to facilitate learning and to establish lifetime reading mindsets and habits. Youngsters obtain a sense of responsibility where they respect other people’s viewpoints and needs. Engaging literature, therefore, permits them to have their own voices as well as understand the wider human implications of their actions.

Elementary teachers appreciate the role of story in youngster’s lives and the manner in which these youngsters employ the story in constructing their understandings of themselves and their surroundings. This belief in the superiority of story as inquiry, though, has emphasized on ways of using literature to bolster teaching of literacy and content instead of appreciating literature as a mean of thinking and re-planning life.  There is also the issue of politicization of reading material, which ought to be dealt with as children no longer engage significantly in literature.  Exploration that delves into the multifaceted roles literature could play in the elementary school, and the challenges of modern politicization of reading guidelines have potential of explicating how literature is helpful in elementary schools.

References

Almerico, G. M. (2013). Linking children’s literature with social studies in the elementary curriculum. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 11, 1-13.

Almerico, G. M. (2014). Building character through literacy with children’s literature. Research in Higher Education Journal, 26.

Biskin, D., & Hoskisson, K. (1974). Moral development through children’s literature. The Elementary School Journal, 75(3), 153-157.

Lu, M. Y. (1998). Multicultural children’s literature in the elementary classroom. Bloomington, ID: Indiana University.

Paquette, K. R. (2007). Encouraging primary students’ writing through children’s literature. Early Childhood Education Journal, 35(2), 155-165.

Short, K. (2011). Reading literature in elementary classrooms. In Wolf, S., Coats, K., Ensico, P., Jenkins, S. (Eds.) Handbook of research in children’s and young adult literature (pp. 48-62). New York, NY: Routledge.

Thomas, L., & Feng, J. (2015). Integrating children’s literature in elementary mathematics. Savannah, GA: Annual Meeting of the Georgia Educational Research Association.

Tyra, C. (2012). Bringing books to life: Teaching character education through children’s literature. Rising Tide, 5, 1-10.