Lesson 2: Playful Reading

In this lesson you will consider some of the possibilities for how one might read and think about children's literature. This lesson lays the foundation for a key idea that will run throughout the course: reading as play. We then consider the unique perspective of the child reader--the child as critic. Finally, we look at a framework that brings these ideas together--the Tell Me framework. This framework is designed to help readers deepen and widen their understanding of a story without imposing a particular meaning or point of view on a reader. You will practice the Tell Me technique in an online discussion of Dead End in Norvelt.

Lesson Objectives

In this lesson you will:

• Begin to ponder what it means to read "playfully." (This will develop throughout the course.)
• Begin to stretch your reading repertoire. (This will also develop throughout the course.)
• Become familiar with the basic framework of the Tell Me technique, particularly the three kinds of sharings: enthusiasms, puzzles, and patterns.
• Apply the Tell Me technique in a threaded discussion.