EDRG 3321/MW/chapter 1

    In chapter 1, Living Literature was a very informative section on whether or not all children could learn. I was appalled to find that some teachers do not believe that all children can learn. I definitely feel that all children are capable of learning. They just need people to believe in them. Children will do what you expect of them. If you believe they will fail, most likely they will. I you believe in them they will succeed, they will. Children will do their best to live up to or down to your expectations. As a teacher you will be spending a lot of time with these children. Almost all of their waking hours will be with you in your classroom.
You can make a difference in a child if you believe in them. You also need to believe in the power of literacy. If you teach a child the joy of reading they can use it always. These children can use the information to grow and expand their knowledge of different things available to them. They can learn about different cultures, people, and jobs, which they might not have been exposed to without literature. If you can create the joy of reading in a child then you will be able to open that child's eyes to new experiences. In my class room I plan on using books by Shel Silverstein. There is a wonderful website for children to explore his works at http://www.shelsilverstein.com/play.asp . In this site you can find Silverstein's books that are animated. My favorite story by Shel Silverstein is The Giving Tree. It is a wonderful story about a boy and a tree who love him.