Using Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom Essay Example for Free

Using Picture Books in the Secondary Classroom Essay there be many reasons to use depict books in middle and spicy tame framerooms (Albright, 2002, 418). Picture books argon very useful in every subject atomic number 18as and all content areas that are taught to secondary students (Albright, 200, 418). in that respect are three st dates of planning and implementing that must be considered and understood when utilizing movie books in instructing older children (Albright, 2002, 419). In regulate to effectively use usher books during train a moth-eaten, the secondary teacher must plan, prepare and produce (Albright, 2002, 419).A teacher must plan what book will go with what lesson and ensure that the textual matter is age appropriate (Albright, 2002, 420). The teacher must also prepare a lesson that will make use of the picture book in such a fashion that students will be engaged in the text within the book (Albright, 2002, 421). Finally, the teacher must produce con templateing employ the selected picture book. In other(a) words, the teacher must be able-bodied to observe students learning the intended let outcomes while listening to and learning from the picture book (Albright, 2002, 421).The primary focus of using picture books in high grades is to increment students literacy skills and ability to analyze short stories (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Picture books have a great deal to offer middle and high school students (Tiedt, 2000, 1). There are four major reasons why teachers should consider using picture books in dogma secondary students (Tiedt, 2000, 1). The first is that picture books are useful resources for promoting good classroom discussions (Tiedt, 2000, 1).Second, picture books nominate engaging models for teaching penning (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Third, students fuck improve their oral language skills as they read out loud, performance dramatic reenactions and tell stories (Tiedt, 2000, 1). Fourth, stinker use picture books as models to write their own picture books and therefore enhancing their own individual creativity (Tiedt, 2000, 1). There are many reasons why picture books are so useful and should be incorporated into secondary classrooms (Young, 1).The themes of many picture books are appropriate for all ages and they include many genres that cover topics of importance to students of all ages (Young, 1997, 1). Second, many new picture books are published each year and older students may not have had the benefit of reading these new books. Using new picture books in secondary school settings exposes older students to resources they may otherwise have lost(p) as new picture books incorporate better artwork and more high quality metaphor and description (Young, 1997, 1).Third, picture books are incorporating many more real world events and topics than they have in the past. For example, more picture book writers are writing around such issues as war, global warming and nuclear destruction (Young, 1997, 1). F ourth, the short format of books allows for unaccented incorporation into lessons. The material in short picture books is easy for secondary students to enshroud and therefore students are able to quickly grasp the subject so they can move on towards creatively applying the material to the topic or subject being studied (Young, 1997, 1).Finally, picture books the pictures in picture books can be used as a comprehension aid for secondary students (Young, 1997, 1). In the current age of television and delineation games, secondary students have become accustomed to using pictures to make connections so picture books build on this ability. The visual cues in pictures allow students to easily comprehend what they are reading and use those applications in the lesson material (Young, 1997, 1). One subject where picture books can be enormously useful is in math (Spicer, 2004, 1).Typically, picture books that discuss math concepts are only used in the primary levels of school. However, the re are a great many picture books that can mature even high school students excited some math (Spicer, 2004, 1). For example, uncomplicated school students will gain a firm grasp on geometrical concepts when reading Sir Cumference and the First Round Table. The book details the efforts of Sir Cumference and his son Radius, in showing the knights how they can all sit peacefully at a substantial table (Spicer, 2004, 1).High school students would enjoy the silliness of this book as well as reviewing basic geometry concepts (Spicer, 2004,1). Similarly, there are many picture books that can be applied to high school life. One good example is The Dot and the Line A Romance in Lower Mathematics. This book is about a love triangle. The straight line is in love with the dot that is in love with the squiggle. By the end of the fib, high school students will learn that when a line bends a little, a vector is created (Spicer, 2004, 1).Students of all ages love picture books (Spicer, 2004, 1 ). There are many fun and easy shipway to incorporate picture books into secondary math lessons (Spicer, 2004, 1). Students can choose a book from a list provided by the teacher and write a embrace about the math concepts included in the story (Spicer, 2004, 1). They can also write mathematical sequels or prequels to books that are read aloud in class (Spicer, 2004, 1). Utilizing picture books as part of math lessons will ensure that weeks later secondary students recall both the story and the lesson (Spicer, 2004, 1).Another way that picture books are useful in the secondary classroom is in assisting struggling readers (McEwan, 2007, 1). Generally, high school students read very long and complex textbooks (McEwan, 2007, 1). The problem lies in the concomitant that struggling readers cannot use these textbook to learn because they are not fluent enough readers (McEwan, 2007, 1). Therefore, picture books can foster struggling readers become better readers at the same time that th ey are learning the same concepts as the other students (McEwan, 2007, 1).In addition, background knowledge is important when teaching nonfiction concepts to secondary school students (McEwan, 2007, 1). Easy nonfiction books should be collected and provided to students who need alternative resources when textbooks are too challenging for them (McEwan, 2007, 1). Further, when students gain the necessary background knowledge and learn advert concepts through reading easy nonfiction picture books, they are able to gain the confidence to try the more challenging textbook material (McEwan, 2007, 1).In instal to assist struggling readers, a comprehensive list of nonfiction picture books aimed at math, science and other subjects should be compiled and made available to teachers and students (McEwan, 2007, 1). paternity is another(prenominal) subject area where picture books provide an enormous benefit to secondary students (Culham, 2000, 1). Picture books are a readily available unless untapped resource that many secondary teachers are just beginning to discover (Culham, 2000, 1). Picture books can be highly visual and motivating in teaching students to become better writers (Culham, 2000, 1).Picture books can be used as models to help writing students organize their thoughts in meaningful ways, to research new topics and destiny different view orders about diverse topics (Culham, 2000, 1). Using picture books can show students how other authors use word choice, and editing to create a polished composing of written work (Culham, 2000, 1). In addition, picture books can enable students to use a small follow of text to find a large amount of meaning (Culham, 2000, 1). There are a wide variety of topics available in using picture books and these topics can inspire creativity in writing students (Culham, 2000, 1).Picture books explore current and relevant topics that can further enhance writing ideas (Culham, 2000, 1). Finally, picture books can often inspire fr esh creativity about old ideas that can lead to better writing (Culham, 2000, 1). Social studies is another area where picture books can be easily incorporated into lesson plans (Young, 1997, 1). The study of throng places and cultures are natural compliments to picture books (Young, 1997, 1). The true life events of the past and present can be portrayed through the eyes of the characters and current events can be explored (Young, 1997, 1).Events such as World War II, the Vietnam War and Paul Reveres ride teach about these historical events in easy to follow formats (Young, 1997, 1). In addition, current events such as homelessness can be stringd through short picture books that incorporate pictures and text to convey the distressfulness of such issues (Young, 1997, 1). Science can very easily incorporate picture books (Young, 1997, 1). An obvious example would be the Magic School Bus series that explores various science concepts through and elementary classroom and its use of th e magic school bus to take field trips (Young, 1997, 1).These books explore science concepts that are easy for elementary school students to understand but are also relevant to secondary school students as they provide good introductions into science concepts that can then be built upon (Young, 1997, 1). These books provide a way to explore science through the eyes of children and include a great many side notes and text that describe such concepts as the solar system, the human body, the earth and the water cycle (Young, 1997, 1). Finally, picture books can be successfully incorporated into vocabulary lessons (Bartell, 2005, 57).In fact, picture books can be used as an alternative to traditional vocabulary instruction (Bartell, 2005, 57). Traditional vocabulary instruction often makes students copy words and their definitions into notebooks but picture books allow students to as models to create their own picture books. The use of alphabet books gives students the creative ideas ne cessary to write their own text and therefore increase vocabulary as they write (Bartell, 2005, 57). The nature of picture books allow for high levels of vocabulary and the illustrations provide further avenues for students to make connections between pictures and words (Bartell, 2005, 57).Picture books in the hands of skilled language arts teachers can create lessons of extraordinary educational value (Young, 1997, 1). The content of the picture books are important in change magnitude secondary students reading and writing abilities but their value goes far beyond this content (Young, 1997, 1). The pictures used in childrens literature can also help students build awareness of language as well as explore illustrations as a way to communicate meaning in a non frighten way (Young, 1997, 1). Therefore, teachers need to be cautious when choosing picture books to incorporate into lesson plans.They must choose picture books based on the quality of the art and the quality of the text (Y oung, 1997, 1). The pictures and the text need to work together to provide a comprehensive book that will be easily incorporated into the lesson plan (Young, 1997, 1). In order to successfully picture books into secondary classrooms, some important changes need to be made (Young, 1997, 1). The first is the attitude that picture books are childrens literature. Instead, picture books should obviously be viewed as literature (Young, 1997, 1).Once this attitude is changed then educators can start seeing the curriculum opportunities that picture books offer (Young, 1997, 1). Picture books entertain students and provide information about a wide variety of topics that can then lead to a greater understanding of the world (Young, 1997, 1). Picture books are another tool that literacy teachers should know about, have access to and incorporate into their lesson plans (Young, 1997, 1). Teachers have been reading aloud to elementary school students for centuries (Guignon, 2001, 1).Research has shown the value of reading out loud to emerging readers (Guignon, 2001, 1). However, once a child learns to read on his or her own, being read to out loud often decreases or stops all told (Guignon, 2001, 1). Reading aloud to students of any age helps them improve the important literacy skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening (Guignon, 2001, 1). Students listen to stories read out loud on a higher level then they read on their own and so hearing stories read out loud stimulates their understanding of vocabulary and language patterns (Guignon, 2001, 1).There are some important guidelines for teachers when reading out loud to secondary students (Guignon, 2001, 1). The first is that the teacher and students must make time to discuss the story in order to expand student understanding of the topic the story covers (Guignon, 2001, 1). Second, the illustrations should be used to encourage prediction and interpretation. Using the illustrations can add to the students understand ing of the events in the story (Guignon, 2001, 1). Third, read out loud gives students the opportunity to learn more about different authors and illustrators.It also allows them to look forward to reading other books by popular authors (Guignon, 2001, 1). Fourth, hearing picture books read out loud gives students the chance to relate the stories to their own experiences (Guignon, 2001, 1). Finally, reading out loud brings in more curriculum associate topics that are of special interest to the class (Guignon, 2001, 1). Teachers are often wary of presenting controversial and private topics into their curriculum and instruction (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture books provide an outlet for these issues by presenting the material in non threatening way (Bartell, 2005, 57).Secondary students are often facing many stressors as they are not quite grown all the same but are no longer children. Their bodies are changing as are the nature of their social situations (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture b ooks provide a way for students to explore the issues that present themselves at this point in life by exposing them to characters going through similar experiences (Bartell, 2005, 57). Picture books are short and get right to the point so they provide an easy way to show secondary students how to deal with situations that they are experiencing (Bartell, 2005, 57).