1. finding Pleasure and Meaning in the textBy
Terre Sychterz
Kutztown University

2. Children must first “live through” literature. (Rosenblatt, 1978)

3. We use children’s literature as a means to teach reading strategies rather than the understanding that “learning to read is to read literature” (Martinez & McGee, 2000, p.166)

4. Wolfgang Iser Views reading as an interaction between text and reader
The reader looks for the gaps or indeterminacies and fills in using inference
The meaning is NOT in the text but the active reader who uses schema and the text to build meaning

5. Louise Rosenblatt
Views reading as a transactional process involving the text and the reader as EQUAL partners
Reader takes stances:
Efferent -‘to carry away knowledge” expository in nature
Aesthetic – evokes a “sense of feelings, ideas, and attitudes”

6. “Rosenblatt believes that any text can be read efferently or aesthetically, and that the difference is in the stance of the reader, not in qualities of the text.” (Sipe, 2008, p.60)

7. Deanne Bogdan Extended Rosenblatt’s theory
Two paths to “full response”
Stasis = efferent
Dialectic = aesthetic
Both are necessary for a “full response”

8. “Full Response” Stock Response: understanding the moral of the story
Kinetic Response: emotions evoked by the story; pleasure
Spectator: relates to literary analysis
This extends Rosenblatt’s Theory to include literary experience and analysis.

9. Yesterday and Today
New Criticism, prevalent before the seventies, states that there is only one correct interpretation of the story/poem.

10. New Criticism Meaning found in the text
Since there is only one text there can only be one meaning with which close and careful reading will reveal.
The reader and the author play little or no part in this way of reading.

11. New Criticism
“Currently people who say they have no articulated theory of reading are probably teaching reading with theories of behaviorism; and people who say they have no theory of literary criticism are probably teaching English using New Critical principals…Indeed, most standardized tests of reading are based on New Critical principals, and most researchers who investigate ‘comprehension’ are assuming that meaning resides exclusively in the text. (Sipe, 2008, p.46)

12. Reader Response Theory
This theory posits that different readers
will naturally and inevitably construct
different meanings of the same text.
It opens the text to the reader so the author is not in possession of the text - in direct opposition to McKeown’s Questioning the Author strategy

13. Reader Response Theory
It is open to personal interpretation
It reflects the reader’s own experience and personality
“Readers Response ” (Beach, 1993; Marshall,1993; Tompkins, 1980)

14. Need for Balance Literacy (ability to read and write) can be learned through literary transaction with the text
Literary
Literacy
Meaning Making
Comprehension
Plot
Sequence
Themes
Main ideas
Language
Vocabulary

15. Prediction /Inference
Overuse of some reading strategies engenders a false sense of success. In using prediction, there is no one right answer because it is opinion, yet linguistically there is the suggestion of a right response. (Cow by Doyle)
Prediction requires schema and from this background we can build inferences. (First the Egg by Seeger)
Overuse or inappropriate use of prediction is problematic because the emergent or unaccomplished reader will mimic this practice.

16. Other Strategies
Beginning a story by stating, “I want you to read to find out…” puts the teacher in control of the read. It is no longer the child’s read.
Stopping and starting a read to answer teacher directed questions is annoying to most good readers and deflating to emergent readers.
Accomplished readers continue to read a text despite unknown words or questions because they like the flow, topic, illustrations, etc.

17. Other Strategies
Reader response journals or use of sticky notes for young children are developmentally inappropriate. (small motor control and disrupts imaginative experience)
A focus on prevention rather than what is the best way to teach young children to read. High stakes testing asks the teacher to “prevent” reading difficulties. Therefore teachers teach skills to meet that request. This requires the efferent reading of text over the aesthetic.

18. READICIDE
Read-i-cide: noun, the systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practice found in schools. Gallagher, K. (2009), p.2

19. To Kill - a - Reader Casserole
“Take one large novel. Dice into as many pieces as possible. Douse with sticky notes. Remove book from oven every five minutes and insert worksheets. Add more sticky notes. Baste until novel is unrecognizable, far beyond well done. Serve in choppy, bite-size chunks.” Gallagher, K. (2009), p.73

20. How to Prevent Readicide
Access to great books.
Large doses of uninterrupted time to read them.

21. “READ IT AGAIN”

22. Meaning Making
Sloan (1984) and Peterson & Eeds (1990) emphasize meaning making as critique and inquiry. Both of which are necessary for critical thinking.
This requires transacting with the text. Students discuss their personal responses and discover similar and/or divergent responses. Students re-read and re-look the text.

23. What does this look like?
Partnership Model of Literature Response

24. What does it sound like?
See transcript

25. Partnership and Meaning Making
“When meaning is interactively constructed, then comprehension involves negotiating many possible meanings, not only in your own head but also with the heads of others, who all have unique backgrounds and ways of constructing meaning. ( Hammerberg, 2004, p. 650)

26. Imagination
Imagination is another element at the core of meaning making. It is a critical way in which students and teachers reach toward meaning and come to understanding (Langer, 1995). Therefore when we transact with text we are calling upon imaginative powers to form meaning

27. Interactive Read Alouds
Sipe’ s (2008) research shows that two-thirds of children’s conversational turns take place during the read of a story and one-third take place after the read.
Types of responses were
Intertextual responses
Performative responses
Predictions
Talking back to the story

28. My Learning's
Children are not marginalized in a partnership model of reading but capable of producing knowledge.
Children’s personal responses “I like…,” I would…,” “I think…,” “I agree…,” etc.
Children found pleasure in our reading. (laughter, sadness, surprise, etc.)
Children acted as critics, sharing voice and vision. (Critical analysis)
Children’s writing reflected their reading.

29. Teacher’s Role
Limit questions – use probing questions, encouragements, invitational questions, predictions (when appropriate)
Scaffold: adjust teaching to children’s needs and leads
Refine and extend your own understanding of art, illustration and picturebook theory (Bang, 2000; Doonan, 1993; Kiefer 1995)
Openness and acceptance of a variety of responses

30. Teacher’s Role
Let go of the control. Instead of “using” literature, experience it yourself. Make your own meanings, not what a manual tells you or a book guide. Prepare for a Read Aloud by experiencing the read yourself.

31. So that no child will be left behind
Why should Reading Instruction for the early learner include literature?
So that no child will be left behind