Selection of stories

for young learners

Week 5 (15/7 19/7)

Why story books?

It is widely believed that literature-based instruction can
positively influence the language development of primary
school students (Morrow, 1992).
Weinreich & Bartlett claim that in childrens literature the
child must be regarded as a necessary condition which the
author consciously or unconsciously relates to in the creative
process (2000:127).
For McDowell (1973), the term childrens literature is
applicable to books written for, and read by, that group
referred to as children by any particular society.
Storytelling is an accepted and widely used approach in the
teaching of English language classroom. It represents a
holistic approach to language teaching and learning founded
on the understanding that learners need to interact with rich,
authentic examples of the foreign language (Mourao, 2009).

Lewis (2001) states that there are good reasons for

children reading picture-books:

Consider the fact that children born into

the first years of the twenty-first century
are likely to possess a richer and more
deft understanding of visual imagery and
its modes of deployment than any other
generation in the history of humankind.
Their world is saturated with imagines,
moving and still, alone and in all manner
of hybrid combinations with texts and
sounds. This is the world in which they
must function (p.59).

Ghosn (2002: 173) summarizes the reasons

why authentic literature is valuable for
children:
Authentic literature provides a motivating, meaningful
context for language learning, since children are
naturally drawn to stories.
Literature can contribute to language learning. It
presents natural language, language at its finest, and
can foster vocabulary development in context.
Literature can promote academic literacy and thinking
skills, and prepare children for the English-medium
instruction.
Literature can function as a change agent: good
literature deals with some aspects of the human
condition, can thus contribute to the emotional
development of the child, and foster positive

How to select Story Books?

Brown (2004) claims that appropriate selections of childrens
literature give students exposure to new, illustrated vocabulary in
context, provide repetition of key words and phrases that students
can master and learn to manipulate and provide a sense of
accomplishment.
Smallwood (1988:66) recommends that criteria for the selection of
childrens literature for language learners should include ageappropriate theme; simple language; limited use of metaphor and
unfamiliar experiences; use of rhyme; unambiguous plot; realistic
but simple dialogue; potential for reading aloud; brevity; and good
illustrations.

Smallwood adds these criteria some more:

Does the book help meet curriculum objectives or

enhance the thematic units being studied?

Is the books content appropriate to the childrens age

and intellectual level?
Does the book use language that is at or slightly above
the level of the learners?
Does the book contain repeated, predictable language
patterns?
Are there clear illustrations that help the story?

In addition to these criteria Steinbeck (2008) lists the

characteristics of using stories with young learners as:
Stories should be action oriented
Stories should be personal (the use of familiar
characters, the pre- and post- activities should make use
of the personalization technique.
Stories should not be too detailed, both in terms of the
story and the visuals used.
Stories should allow for context extension.
Stories should use comprehensible input (the language
that is at the right cognitive and linguistic level) so that
the output is more structured.

 The illustrations of a childrens book are perhaps the largest part of what
makes the book attractive to kids
attractive illustrations are almost always what focuses a young childs interest and attention on a book
Without strong illustrations young children may well lose interest in a young learners book, even if the
story is great.
illustrations with content that connects with the experience and interests of the child will be more likely
to make a young learners book appealing to the child.
Children in the infant-to-2-years age category will likely respond better to simpler and more
concrete illustrations than to illustrations that are highly complicated or fanciful. Bold colours that
catch the eye are also often especially attractive to toddlers.
For 3-to-5- and 6-to-8-years age categoriesrespond very well to complex, detailed, and more
fanciful illustrations.
illustrations become less important as children get oldere.g., a good story alone might well hold a 9to12-year-oldillustrations can still help to tell a story, or illumine the content of a book for an
older child.

Edifying Language and Vocabulary Expansion

contribute to the expansion of a childs vocabulary in an organic and
motivating way.
words learned in isolation are boring; words learned in context are
illuminating and interesting.
simple words signifying concrete objects and activities that very young
children can relate toe.g., clap, hands, open, bang, drum, daddy,
mum, etc.

Edifying Language and Literacy

Beginner Book, the authors of these books are required to write their
stories using only a constrained set of fewer than 400 words that are simple
but crucial building blocks in a childs reading vocabulary. These are words
that are both used frequently, and that are relatively simple to figure out
phonetically
edifying language supports a childs journey toward literacy. Moreover,
once a child is reading on his own, edifying language is the vehicle by which
his reading skills continue to develop.
language in childrens books should challenge a child somewhat, even
for books that are primarily read to the child by an adult. Thus, the level of
vocabulary and linguistic complexity should be slightly above the childs
current ability, to encourage growth. However, if the language of a book is
way over a childs head, the book will likely be frustrating or boring for him, so
it is important not to overshoot. If you do overshoot, you can always try the
book later.

Edifying Language and Beauty

can contribute to a childs aesthetic sensibility. Specifically, books with
beautiful, elevating languagewhether poetry or proseexpose children to
verbal beauty.
The opportunity for verbal beauty is especially ripe in teen and young adult
books (i.e., 13 to 19 years old). At this stage children have mastered the
basics of reading and are ready to appreciate elevated prose.

Balance and Variety in Book Selection

One of the important elements
Evaluating various literary elements
Children have a wide range of reading abilities reading interests
Picture books, easy-to-read books, short chapter books, longer books, and
books of prose, poetry, fiction and nonfiction.
Thus, balance among the genres of literatures as well as variety in topic are
essential.

Balance and Variety in Book Selection

The stories that teachers choose to read aloud students
Varying choices for read-aloud will challenge students
Enhance the resulting academic benefits for their language cognitive
development
In sharing books, the mood of the books must be varied to include sad,
humorous, silly, serious, reflective, boisterous, suspenseful, or a little scary
But if a teacher reads aloud over many months the works of literature with the
same predominant emotion will lead to ignoring the rapid change and growth
in personal lives and choices that are the hallmark of youth.

Childrens Stories and Social Development: Complex

Plots
a complex plot may contribute to the complexity of a kids story
a complex plot generally leaves the reader with some mystery or puzzle to solve over the
course of the book.
it stimulates the readers thinking as they try to solve the puzzle.
a process of figuring out a complex plot forces the reader to use deductive reasoning, and
reasoning to the best explanation. Not only must the reader try to arrange the outward
cluese.g., messages, missing objects, human actionsinto a coherent picture, but must
also integrate the reasons and motives that drive the characters in the story.
This sort of reasoning is great mental exercise and can contribute to the expansion of a
childs intellectual abilities in a fun, engaging way.

 A complex plot also generally tells several different stories at once. These are
often the stories of the central and secondary characters in the book.
The developmental value of reading complex storiesi.e., stories that have
wheels within wheelsis that a child must hold in mind many plotlines at once,
and must remember how those plotlines overlap and integrate into a whole.
In short, reading childrens books with multiple simultaneous plotlines requires a
child to exercise her memory in challenging and productive ways.
This is not the dull exercise of flashcard memorization, but rather a dynamic
exercise of memory, driven by the childs desire to understand an interesting
story.

Story Complexity and Younger Children

story complexity and child development is most obviously applicable to older children
i.e., roughly children older than 9 years of agewhose memory and reasoning abilities
have progressed to a level such that they can benefit from complex stories
younger children can also benefit from complex stories, though the level of complexity
must be tempered to meet the abilities of the younger child.
for a younger child should be to expose him to a level of complexity that stretches him,
but does not exasperate him. There is no formulaic way to determine this level and
find books to match.
complex stories appropriate for children aged 6 to 8 years. Both have a large range of
characters and challenge the reader with mysteries and riddles to solve, not to mention
interesting themes and fantastic illustrations.

Using a story in English teaching

high motivation makes the English classes an enjoyable and stimulating
experience for the children
"The activities should be simple enough for the children to understand what is
expected of them. The task should be inside their abilities: it needs to be
achievable but at the same time sufficiently stimulating for them to feel
satisfied with their work. The activities should be largely orally based--indeed,
with very young children listening activities will take up a large proportion of
class time. Written activities should be used sparingly with younger children".
(Young Learners, S. Philips, 1997, p.7)

Planning the lesson

One of the most important things for good series of lessons is lesson
planning. The use of stories requires careful long term planning followed by
short term planning and lesson planning for individual lessons.
"Children are usually full of enthusiasm and energy, and the language lesson
will be full of variety and changes of activity. The lesson must be carefully
planned if the teacher and children are going to get the maximum enjoyment
and the maximum learning out of a lesson. All teachers plan, just as all good
teachers are prepared to adapt their plans, and know that they have to be
prepared for emergencies". (Teaching En. to Children, Scott and Ytreberg,
1991, p. 97)

Speaking
One way how to teach speaking as children get older is provide such
activities as storytelling is. It is important to bear in mind that children need to
see the reason for doing the activity. This end-product is an important
motivating factor, often more important than the topic itself. (S. Philips,1997,
p.38)

The following progress from tightly controlled practice to freer

communication (Ellis and Brewster, 1991):

look, listen and repeat

look and ask guessing games

listen and participate

information gap

questioners and surveys

role-play
retelling a story

memory games

reading aloud

dramatization

rhymes, action rhymes, songs, chants

Tutorial
Group Task:
Choose a text/story and explain how you can explore and exploit the story in the
language classroom

Individual Task:
Create a checklist that you could use to help you choose books / stories for your
pupils.