book selection

	Scaffolding Literacy
Introduction Reaching All Children Strategies Book Selection Book Selection: 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race Low Order Book Orientation Scaffolded Conversation High Order Book Orientation Fluent Scaffolded Reading Transformations Scaffolded Spelling Reconstructured Writing Patterned Writing Writing Plan for 27th Annual African Hippopotamus Race Writing Samples Book List	Book Selection General Principles Scaffolding Literacy has identified the following criteria for choosing narrative text. (Schools and Community Centre, Scaffolding Transitional Spellers, 1998. page 6) 1. Issues relating to the staging of the text The structure of the story The complexity and coherence of the event sequence 2. Language choices in the text Image building and precision elements Expression of characters' thoughts, feelings and reactions The length of sentences Variety in sentence structure 3. Visual elements and presentation Illustrations, size of print, layout 1. We look at how obvious is the orientation, complication and resolution. The Wishing Well in Arnold Lobel's Mouse Tales is a perfect example of story structure for very young children. The Witches or Matilda by Roald Dahl have less easily grasped resolutions - the reader has had to pay attention to the author's comments at the beginning of these novels to be prepared to accept the endings. Judging only from plot structure, the latter books are obviously for older children. We can teach plot design appropriate to the first years of school from The Wishing Well. We can teach plot design appropriate to late primary school from The Witches or Matilda. Early examples of coherence in the event sequence are provided by Lobel's Frog and Toad stories, where the difference between the two creatures' reactions provides the basis for the action; and by The lion and the mouse, (Connections) where the small creature does things appropriate to small creatures and the big creature does things appropriate to large creatures. We see how this has developed in a novel for older children like Bartlett and the ice voyage by Odo Hirsch, where the development of the action depends on how well Hirsch has drawn his characters. In Frog and Toad, this is through action-reaction. In Bartlett, this is through description, through knowing the characters' thoughts and through seeing the characters' actions and reactions in a variety of scenes. 2. We have talked a lot about language choices over the past two weeks. When we have talked about 'exact' words or 'precise' words we are meaning precision elements. These words can be verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs that are precisely chosen. Even in a simple story like The Wishing Well Lobel has written 'cried' instead of 'said' when the little mouse is excited. Without any such precise words, a book is not worth studying. In Bartlett, when they hit the iceberg, Hirsch has included similes, metaphors, and personification, and sustained a metaphor likening the icebergs to savage beasts over several pages. As we saw in The 27th annual African hippopotamus race, long sentences can be harder to read than short ones, and will need careful teaching if children are to use them in their writing. In the texts we study we look at different ways of combining clauses and phrases. Long sentences appear in books for young children - we looked at 'Coming from the other direction was fox, slinking along with a string of fish that he had stolen' from Why the bear has a stumpy tail - and they need to be explained. When we began choosing texts, we looked at whether authors tell, and how they tell who what when where why how By looking at how they tell these things, some of the language choices we have learnt to look for are:- Whether the text is complete in itself. This can be explained by comparison with children's oral 'news' where they don't realise the need for giving the context. Once this need is realised, children are moving into literate language. In a story for very young children like The Wishing Well (the first story in Lobel's Mouse Tales) the context is created largely by the pictures and children need to be shown how to interpret pictures. But as well, the first sentence reads 'A mouse once found a wishing well', where the word 'once' puts the story into the context of long ago stories. How action sequences are written. Whether reactions help move the action along. Including reactions as well as actions greatly improves children's writing Whether sensing verbs, thinking verbs are included. - Robin Klein is an example of an author who lets us know what the characters are thinking - including thoughts greatly improves children's writing. Whether statements are expanded - Paul Jennings writing contains good examples of this. This is another choice that can greatly improve children's writing. Precise words. Image building words Appropriate description Whether the author comments on the action, and how appropriate are the comments. How clauses are combined into longer sentences. How phrases are added. Beginnings and endings of sentences. 3. Check that the print is readable, the format is appealing, and what function the pictures have in relation to the text.

Scaffolding Literacy

Book Selection General Principles

Scaffolding Literacy has identified the following criteria for choosing narrative text. (Schools and Community Centre, Scaffolding Transitional Spellers, 1998. page 6)

1. Issues relating to the staging of the text
The structure of the story
The complexity and coherence of the event sequence

2. Language choices in the text
Image building and precision elements
Expression of characters' thoughts, feelings and reactions
The length of sentences
Variety in sentence structure

3. Visual elements and presentation
Illustrations, size of print, layout

1. We look at how obvious is the orientation, complication and resolution. The Wishing Well in Arnold Lobel's Mouse Tales is a perfect example of story structure for very young children. The Witches or Matilda by Roald Dahl have less easily grasped resolutions - the reader has had to pay attention to the author's comments at the beginning of these novels to be prepared to accept the endings. Judging only from plot structure, the latter books are obviously for older children. We can teach plot design appropriate to the first years of school from The Wishing Well. We can teach plot design appropriate to late primary school from The Witches or Matilda.

Early examples of coherence in the event sequence are provided by Lobel's Frog and Toad stories, where the difference between the two creatures' reactions provides the basis for the action; and by The lion and the mouse, (Connections) where the small creature does things appropriate to small creatures and the big creature does things appropriate to large creatures. We see how this has developed in a novel for older children like Bartlett and the ice voyage by Odo Hirsch, where the development of the action depends on how well Hirsch has drawn his characters. In Frog and Toad, this is through action-reaction. In Bartlett, this is through description, through knowing the characters' thoughts and through seeing the characters' actions and reactions in a variety of scenes.

2. We have talked a lot about language choices over the past two weeks. When we have talked about 'exact' words or 'precise' words we are meaning precision elements. These words can be verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs that are precisely chosen. Even in a simple story like The Wishing Well Lobel has written 'cried' instead of 'said' when the little mouse is excited. Without any such precise words, a book is not worth studying. In Bartlett, when they hit the iceberg, Hirsch has included similes, metaphors, and personification, and sustained a metaphor likening the icebergs to savage beasts over several pages.

As we saw in The 27th annual African hippopotamus race, long sentences can be harder to read than short ones, and will need careful teaching if children are to use them in their writing. In the texts we study we look at different ways of combining clauses and phrases. Long sentences appear in books for young children - we looked at 'Coming from the other direction was fox, slinking along with a string of fish that he had stolen' from Why the bear has a stumpy tail - and they need to be explained.

When we began choosing texts, we looked at whether authors tell, and how they tell
who
what
when
where
why
how

By looking at how they tell these things, some of the language choices we have learnt to look for are:-
Whether the text is complete in itself. This can be explained by comparison with children's oral 'news' where they don't realise the need for giving the context. Once this need is realised, children are moving into literate language. In a story for very young children like The Wishing Well (the first story in Lobel's Mouse Tales) the context is created largely by the pictures and children need to be shown how to interpret pictures. But as well, the first sentence reads 'A mouse once found a wishing well', where the word 'once' puts the story into the context of long ago stories.

How action sequences are written. Whether reactions help move the action along. Including reactions as well as actions greatly improves children's writing

Whether sensing verbs, thinking verbs are included. - Robin Klein is an example of an author who lets us know what the characters are thinking - including thoughts greatly improves children's writing.

Whether statements are expanded - Paul Jennings writing contains good examples of this. This is another choice that can greatly improve children's writing.

Precise words.

Image building words

Appropriate description

Whether the author comments on the action, and how appropriate are the comments.

How clauses are combined into longer sentences. How phrases are added.

Beginnings and endings of sentences.

3. Check that the print is readable, the format is appealing, and what function the pictures have in relation to the text.