Selecting Resources

Throughout each English language arts unit, students should be introduced to a variety of printed and multimedia materials such as: In addition, students should have access to reference resources. It is important that these resources are developed specifically for young children and are, therefore, at a developmentally appropriate level. Resources might include: As students are introduced to a variety of texts, their understanding of the elements and formats of each type will expand.

Selection Criteria

The following is a short, synthesized checklist for basic reference in materials selection. Specific selection criteria are included following discussion of each genre.

General Selection Criteria


  • Is the material of value to students' personal growth and understanding?
  • Are topics, characters, style, and motifs appropriate to the student level? Can the material maintain interest?
  • Have controversial subjects been treated sensitively and without sensationalism?
  • Is content free of bias and stereotyping in text and illustration?
  • Do the materials include a fair representation of ethnic and cultural groups, male and female characters, older people, and people with disabilities? Are they portrayed in a variety of occupational and behavioural roles?
  • Do the vocabulary and language patterns used by the author promote language growth and development?
  • Are vocabulary, sentence structure, figurative language, and level of abstraction suitable for the intended purpose and grade?
  • Is information current and accurate? Have important facts been omitted to convey an inaccurate perspective?
  • Is organization and presentation of information suitable for the intended student use?
  • Are the format and technical quality appropriate to intended student use?
Adapted from Learning Resource Centres in Saskatchewan: A Guide for Development. Saskatchewan Education, 1989, pp. 60-62.

Fiction

Fiction is popular with young readers. Because fiction motivates students to read, to learn, and to continue reading in later life, a resource-based language arts curriculum will necessarily contain a high percentage of narrative works. Students who explore several types of fiction will develop an appreciation for the form and style of each genre.

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Realistic fiction portrays believable characters in stories of interest and relevance to readers today. Stories should develop a significant theme but should not be written to provide information or advice to the reader. Realistic fiction for younger students is commonly in the form of adventure, humour, mystery, survival, family and school relationships, sports, or animal stories.

Classics or Favourite Works

These are stories that have stood the test of time. Though settings and styles may be dated, the books' strong characterizations or plot developments continue to appeal to readers and to elicit response. Teachers are encouraged to review old favourites in order to identify bias or stereotypes that are not acceptable by current standards and guidelines. If used, materials with identified problems require careful classroom examination and discussion.

Historical Fiction

Because historical fiction contains settings and characters, real or invented, that have a basis in history, selection requires attention to authenticity. Setting, characterization, plot development, and theme must all be consistent with the era being depicted. Teachers are encouraged to assist students in identifying bias and stereotyping that may have been culturally acceptable in the past, but which by today's standards are not. Stories with identified bias or stereotyping require careful classroom examination and discussion.

Fantasy and Science Fiction

In fantasy and science fiction, the author introduces elements of the impossible, or explores science that is "speculative" and beyond our current understanding. Characters may display supernormal or magical powers. The setting may be a world other than our own, or may be our own world with very different laws of nature. All story elements must be consistent with the world the author creates.

In stories of fantasy, protagonists often embark on a quest that is central to the story's theme. Included in this type of literature are modern versions of traditional fairy tales (often termed literary fairy tales), such as those by Hans Christian Andersen, Oscar Wilde, and Natalie Babbitt. Fantasy also can be contemporary, such as Three and Many Wishes and Of Jason Reid.

Science fiction stories, as well as dealing with scientific possibilities, frequently speculate about the effects on people of advanced technology. The stories may also investigate global implications of a major change in the environment.

Selection Criteria for Fiction


Selection of fiction should be based on an appraisal of the elements of fiction. Plot development, characterization, setting, point of view, theme, and style are essential to a story's literary excellence and consequent emotional or intellectual impact. The following checklist provides a guide for determining the degree to which literary elements have been developed.
  • Are plot and characterization believable within the context of the story and setting? Are characters' actions and dialogue true to the setting?
  • Is the style (use of language) identifiable and consistent?
  • Is the author's style suitable to grade level and intended use?
  • Are readers offered new, thought-provoking ideas or experiences?
  • Is the theme significant and relevant to readers at the intended level? Can all students in the class identify with aspects of the characters' experiences and the situation? Is the theme implicit rather than didactic or moralistic?
  • Do characters grow and change as the story progresses? Do their encounters offer young readers exploration of emotions or experiences within the range of their abilities?

Traditional Literature

Traditional literature, handed down from previous generations through oral or written transmission, and with unknown authorship, includes the following: myths and legends, folk songs, ballads, folktales, fables, and nursery rhymes.

Myths and Legends

Stories of deities and heroic people provide insight into the past. The tales are commentaries on peoples' views about origins of the world and its creatures. Some stories are explanations of the natural world and its order. Many myths and legends reveal the characteristics of heroic people that cultures have deemed significant. Some of these views continue to be considered valid today.

Included in this category are traditional stories and legends from Aboriginal peoples as well as mythology from ancient Greece and Rome. Legendary heroes include well-known characters such as Wesakechak, Hera, and St. George.

Trickster Legends are stories about universal folklore characters who illustrate the best and the worst aspects of human nature. Tricksters are wily characters who may both deceive others and be fooled themselves. They may be both greedy and generous, but appear to possess no moral or social values. Rather, they act on impulse or passion. Tricksters' good actions are rewarded, but they often outsmart themselves and are punished.

Trickster stories are often earthy, reflecting their cultures' willingness to speak openly or laugh at human weakness or sexual foibles. Many trickster stories are pourquoi tales, providing answers to questions about creation, natural forces, or creatures of the natural world.

Many trickster characters are shape-shifters, taking on the appearance of people, plants, or animals. They are often small creatures who use brains rather than physical strength. Tricksters in North American Aboriginal literature include the following: Pacific North West: Raven, Crow
Eastern Regions: Glooscap, Nanabosho, Nanabozho, Nanabush, Rabbit (occasionally)
Central North America: Iktomi (Inktomi), Wesakechak (Wesakejak, Wesakejack, Wesakaychak, Wisahkechak, Wisakedjak, Wiskey Jack), Coyote, Old Man.

African tricksters include Anansi (Ananse), Monkey, Tortoise, Zomo the Rabbit, and, as transferred to the United States, Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox (Brother).

Pourquoi Legends (Why Tales) provide brief, often humourous explanations for characteristics of people, animals, and other aspects of nature. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears is a West African legend about an animal's behaviour. How the Birch Tree Got Its Stripes is a Cree story explaining a plant's appearance. Anansi the Spider is an Ashanti story from Africa explaining natural phenomena. Asian tales (Jataka stories) tell of the wily exploits of Monkey. Norse legends tell of Loki. Middle Eastern tricksters include Nasreddin Jodja.

Epics, or longer narratives originally in verse, relate the trials of heroic people in the struggle of good against evil. As people developed a sense of their worth relative to the gods, stories were collected into longer tales using composite heroes such as Beowulf and Odysseus. Anthologies often include short excerpts of these epic tales.

Folk Songs and Ballads

Ballads are traditional story songs of tragic romance or adventure. Anthologies may include ballads from Britain and Ireland, folk songs from around the world, and American spirituals. Individual folk songs are frequently produced in picture book format, in which the songs' original settings and cultural groups are identified through visuals.

Folktales

Because of their short, strong plots, emphasis on action, and reflection of the societies in which they originated, folktales and fairy tales are valuable, high-interest components of library collections. Listed below are various types of folklore.

Cumulative or Add-on Stories repeat the story line, adding a new object or action to each repetition. This Is the House That Jack Built and The Gingerbread Boy are cumulative tales. Both present the central character and the conflict, add details, and then conclude the tale with decreasing detail or a surprise ending.

Tall Tales are humourous exaggerations. Many American tall tales, such as Paul Bunyan, developed with the settlement of the United States. The stories provide valuable insight into the characteristics considered important in the society of the time.

Talking Beast Stories contain animal characters, such as The Bremen Town Musicians, that speak and act much as humans do. These stories should not be confused with animal protagonists in Aboriginal legends.

Noodlehead Stories or Drolls, such as Noodle, Nitwit, Numskull, or Ming Lo Moves the Mountain, are humourous accounts of how kind-hearted and naive people succeed in spite of, or because of, their lack of common sense.

Fairy Tales (Wonder Tales) come from many different cultures. These stories deal with magical creatures or objects. Standard opening and closing phrases provide students with an introduction to beginnings, middles, and endings of stories. Story motifs, such as the wish-giving lamp, cruel stepmother, triumphant youngest child, and unlikely-appearing benefactor or fairy godmother, present small, easily understood plot and character elements in the larger context of good triumphing over evil. Examples of fairy tales are Cinderella and Little Fingerling.

Fables

Fables present a single incident, often using animal characters and containing an explicit moral or lesson. Young children enjoy these stories because plots and characters are presented in a straightforward manner. Older students who revisit the fables are able to comprehend the relationship between the plot and the lesson. Included in the category are French moral tales by Lafontaine, Jataka tales from India, and fables attributed to Aesop originating in Greece.

Nursery Rhymes

Mother Goose rhymes from the British tradition are an important component of literature collections for students. These nonsense verses are often thinly-disguised social commentaries of the era. Evaluation of a nursery rhyme anthology includes an appraisal of the book's illustrations, contents, and arrangements.

Selection Criteria for Traditional Literature
  • In collections containing introductory notes, does the editor's stated philosophy reflect accurate representation of the culture?
  • Do retellings remain true to the style and intent of the original tales? Are the traditional beginnings, middles, endings, and language patterns retained? Do retellings retain the atmosphere of the country or culture of origin?
  • Do the retellings have the "feel" of oral storytelling? Are they free from unnecessary detail?
  • In the case of nursery rhyme anthologies, do the illustrations enhance the text? If various cultures are portrayed, are the depictions free of stereotyping? Is the index or table of contents helpful?

Poetry

Poetry should be integrated into each thematic unit. Balanced literature collections include both anthologies and individual poems and should contain examples of several forms of poetry. Students who experience several types of rhymed and unrhymed poetry develop a broader sense of poetry appreciation and precise, condensed language. Students should have access to narrative, concrete, and lyric poetry. Included in these categories are haiku, cinquain, and nonsense poetry, including limericks.

Selection Criteria for Poetry

Poetry can be evaluated in the context of its rhythmic, sound pattern; figurative language; and emotional intentions.
  • Lyric verse is characterized by a natural, flowing rhythm. Does the verse track freely? Is the subject matter appropriate for the students?
  • In rhyming poetry, are the rhyming patterns and syntax within the students' abilities to detect and understand?
  • Does the poetry employ rich, precise vocabulary, and figurative language on subjects within the students' realms of experience or abstraction?
  • Do sound patterns (such as those in alliteration, repetition, use of long or short vowels, use of hard or soft consonants) contribute to the students' understanding of and interest in the poem?
  • Does the poetry present compact, unified images that will involve the student emotionally or intellectually?
  • Is the poem original? Is its theme or presentation unique?

Picture Books

Picture books communicate information through a series of pictures combined with short texts or no texts at all. The term picture books covers a wide variety of texts including concept books, wordless picture books, and longer fiction and nonfiction picture books.

Concept Books

Concept books are designed to present specific terms for teaching purposes. The most common types of concept formats are counting and alphabet books. Some questions to consider when selecting concept books are listed below. Wordless Picture Books

Wordless books are suitable for every phase of the elementary program. In wordless picture books, the illustrations must present plot development, characterization, and theme, and must create the appropriate mood.

Fiction and Nonfiction Picture Books

Students in all elementary grades should have access to works in picture book format. Students who have continuing opportunities to relate to visuals develop an appreciation for the complexity of visual images. These visuals may be artistic renditions or photographs.

Books that can be appreciated for their strong storylines or characters in primary grades can be revisited at the upper elementary grades to focus on the artistic techniques and styles of the illustrator, as well as the author's distinctive manner of expression. The concise text of picture books makes them suitable for whole class discussion of a specific literary technique or theme. Some picture books explore mature themes, using visuals to deepen the stories' impact. Some of these books have been noted as having "mature content".

Students who become acquainted with many artistic media and styles become discerning, appreciative picture book interpreters. Teachers should ensure that their own personal preferences do not restrict their choice of illustration style in books selected. Illustrations in picture books may include black and white and/or colour art work or photographs. In nonfiction works, the purpose of visuals is clarification and presentation of information.

In picture books that are works of fiction, the plot, setting, characterization, and mood are usually developed equally by text and illustration. In stories such as Mary of Mile 18 and Star Boy, text and illustration are interwoven. In some books, such as Rosie's Walk, illustration adds meaning not developed in the text. Though Rosie is mentioned in the text, the fox is not.

Sometimes illustrations provide a second, parallel storyline. In Farmer Joe's Hot Day, the text describes a man's discomfort on a hot day. Illustration develops this plot while adding the farmer's continuing battle with gophers.

Illustration may also serve as a counterpoint to the text, providing opposing visual interpretation. In A Long Hard Day at the Ranch, a young boy's letter home and accompanying colour illustration describe his exciting visit. The boy's exaggerated account is in sharp contrast to the reality of the events as seen in black and white photographs.

Predictable and Pattern Books

In predictable stories, print and/or illustration allow the reader to anticipate forthcoming text. Predictability may be achieved through rhyme, foreshadowing in illustration, or repeated patterns. Rosie's Walk is an example of predictability achieved through illustrative foreshadowing.

In predictable books, words or actions are repeated. Many folktales contain repeated events, often in groups of three. In The Three Billy Goats Gruff, the troll confronts a billy goat three times, on each occasion using the same refrain.

Cumulative books contain repeated lists of words, phrases, or episodes. In Too Much Noise, each page adds a new animal to the man's household. As well, the man's requests and actions are repeated. A cumulative pattern is also established in Where Did You Get Your Moccasins? In answer to each of his friends' questions, a young boy adds a new step in making moccasins.

Song refrains are repeated patterns. In songs such as "This Old Man" and "If You're Happy and You Know It", the stem of each line is repeated.

In Brown Bear, Brown Bear, a question and answer stem is repeated to form a pattern. At the same time, illustration allows readers to predict the ends of sentences.

A predictable or pattern book should be selected for the impact of plot, characterization, and setting upon the story's theme, as well as for the book's use of interesting, rhythmic language. Patterns should remain consistent throughout the selection and should be discernible by the age group for which the book is intended.

Selection Criteria for Picture Books

  • Are illustrations visually appealing?
  • Do illustrations support and enhance the text? Do they remain true to the text, while going beyond the print to facilitate understanding and interpretation?
  • Are illustrations technically accurate, especially with regard to scientific, cultural, and historical information?
  • Are illustrations placed at appropriate intervals to relate to the text?
  • Do illustrations intrude on the text, making reading of the print difficult?
  • Does the amount of detail suit the intended purpose? Does it include sufficient interest for the range of reading abilities in the class?
  • Is the storyline clear? Can the sequence be followed readily by the students?
  • Do the intended readers have sufficient experiential background to understand the setting, plot, and characters?

Nonfiction

Informational resources suitable for reading or viewing should be integrated into the language arts at every grade. Informational material, also termed nonfiction, includes narrative and non-narrative factual materials relevant to other subject areas, concept books such as counting and alphabet books, biographies, and autobiographies.

Selection Criteria for Nonfiction

  • Is information clearly presented?
  • Are topics and issues relevant to curriculum objectives or to students' needs and interests?
  • Is the material current? What is the copyright date? Are the latest scientific or political events included?
  • Are illustrations, maps, and charts accurate and appropriate to the intended use?
  • Are style and literary quality appropriate?
  • Are table of contents, index, and glossary organized for easy access?
  • Is the information historically accurate? Does the author add details to assist interpretation or to make the people realistic and interesting for students?
  • Is the depth of information presented suitable for the intended readership?
  • In biographies, does the author present a balanced image of the person's personality and achievements? Are students able to get a picture of the subject's time and place in history?

Non-print Resources

Resources in this category include people, audio cassettes, videos, records, films, photographs, and slides.

Selection Criteria for Non-print Resources
  • Does the resource person bring a perspective that students will find informative or interesting?
  • What is the quality of the resource? Are visuals clear and appealing? Is narration clear and at a suitable pace for listeners? Is background sound effective without overpowering foreground voicing?
  • Is the length of presentation suitable to the intended grade level?
  • Does the resource hold students' interest?
  • In non-print presentations of literary works, does the presentation enhance one or more of the elements of literature? Do accompanying activities promote appreciation or understanding of the text? Is the presentation visually and/or orally appealing?