Teaching Literature to Adolescents

by Richard W. Beach, Deborah Appleman, Bob Fecho

Now in its fourth edition, this popular textbook introduces prospective and practicing English teachers to current methods of teaching literature in middle and high school classrooms. This new edition broadens its focus to cover important topics such as critical race theory; perspectives on teaching fiction, nonfiction, and drama; the integration of digital literacy; and teacher research for ongoing learning and professional development. It underscores the value of providing students with a range of different critical approaches and tools for interpreting texts. It also addresses the need to organize literature instruction around topics and issues of interest to today’s adolescents. By using authentic dilemmas and contemporary issues, the authors encourage preservice English teachers and their instructors to raise and explore inquiry-based questions that center on the teaching of a variety of literary texts, both classic and contemporary, traditional and digital. New to the Fourth Each chapter is organized around specific questions that preservice teachers consistently raise as they prepare to become English language arts teachers. The authors model critical inquiry throughout the text by offering authentic case narratives that raise important considerations of both theory and practice. A companion website, a favorite of English education instructors, , provides resources and enrichment activities, inviting teachers to consider important issues in the context of their current or future classrooms.

Genres: Teaching, Education, Nonfiction, School, Grad School, Professional Development

324 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

After two years of teaching a course in Young Adult literature for preservice language arts teachers, I was fortunate to receive an examination copy of this book, which is the most comprehensive text I have found for introducing aspiring educators to the teaching of literature.

Although this text is not uniformly solid, it is robust and thorough in many respects. The two introductory chapters provide just enough of a theoretical/pedagogical foundation for students to familiarize themselves with dialogic teaching and an inquiry framework. The chapters also provide a strong argument for the importance of context and getting to know the students you will be teaching. Subsequent chapters address teaching YA literature, incorporating multiple literacies in language arts instruction, curriculum planning, backwards planning, designing inquiry units, supporting reading comprehension, the use of multiple theoretical critical lenses or perspectives to assist students in constructing meaning from literature, responding to poetry, using a variety of writing assignments (many informal and formative in nature), and using formative assessments to inform teaching. Each chapter concludes with a synthesis/sample lesson that is more illustrative than prescriptive, and the authors carefully align their methodology with their progressive, student-centered pedagogy even as they offer honest critique of the limited value of Common Core standards while simultaneously acknowledging the practical need to address the standards in instruction. Unfortunately, the chapters on teaching media literacy and using drama to teach literature are comparatively weak. The majority of this text, however, is more than enough to support a full semester of pedagogy instruction focused on teaching literature.

I plan to use this text in my course this coming fall, and I strongly recommend it to teacher educators, preservice and in-service English Language Arts teachers.

[Sam Mosqueda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disliked this book. Everything contained in it is written about more thoroughly in other texts, and I don't feel it is worth keeping.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the most comprehensive books I've read about the teaching of literature, and I wouldn't expect less from my previous experience reading from Richard Beach. I think every ELA teacher ought to find time to read it. I felt this book addressed a number ways to teach literacy in today's changing world (such a YA lit, critical digital media literacy, etc.). I implemented multiple ideas from the reading of this book directly into the classes I taught for preservice teachers the same semester. This book does a fantastic job leaving me with questions to consider and think about as I find ways to implement their ideas in ways that meet my students' needs.

[Loryn Tindall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had tons of information, but was very dull and repetitive. The language was much hard to understand, particularly because you had to dig past the repetition. Once you did though, there was some very useful information about teaching literature. It is based towards higher grades though, more high school than middle school. It would have to be altered a great deal before being super useful at the elementary level.

[Tracey Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as part of a graduate school class on Adolescent Literature. It was okay, but is really designed more for an undergraduate course as much of the info in the textbook is aimed and preservice or beginning teachers.

[Jeanie Cullip · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for my future ELA classroom!

[Synthia Salomon, Ed.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transformation = Critical Thinking + Literacy

[Eliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this textbook! It was incredibly helpful when thinking about the practical steps of being a socially just ELA teacher.

[ChelseaRenee Lovell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Super repetitive and boring, minimal help about actually teaching and how to approach teaching adolescent aged students, sort of mind numbing tbh

[J. Alfred · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you ever get a hankering for a vaguely supercilious book with a few good tips on teaching and a whole mess of uninteresting theoretical polemics, look no further. And if you love finding typos by published authors, you're in luck! You'd think with four people's names on the cover somebody could copy edit, but I guess there are more important things to do, like attend conferences and schmooze (literally recommended in the last chapter-- do I sound frustrated with the state of education?)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some very good tools and ideas in this book. However, I often get confused about what she is talking about because she doesn't elaborate on an idea until later. The organization can become confusing as well.