Playful Reading

Lesson Overview

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 The Giver.

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.