Children's Lit

Caldecott Medal

• for best illustrator (picture book)

• This year’s winner: Fireworks (Catia Chien)

Newbery Medal

• for best literacy/words (chapter book)

Printz Award

• best teen book

• usually edgy

Pura Belpre Medal

• Latin Authors and/or illustrators

Coretta Scott King Award

• African-American author and/or illustrator

Robert F. Sibert Award

• Non-fiction children’s book

Legacy Award (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

• lifetime award

• basically Oscar but for books

Theodore Seuss Geisel Award

• Early Readers / Beginner Readers

• Mo Willems gets this one quite often

What are the 3 strategies for teaching children to make connections with text. (Give book examples)

1. Text-to-Self - own response (Waiting is not Easy by Mo Willems)

2. Text-to-Text - connect to other texts (Cinderella Fairytale as opposed to movie adaptation)

3. Text-to-World - connect to the world (Diary of a Wimpy kid and how bullying is a problem in our world)

What is the Gradual Release of Responsibility?

I do - teacher model

We do - teacher with student

Y’all do - pairs or group work

You do - independent

Transfer - can they do it in a different setting?

What is the practice reading cycle (Draw it and explain)

Practice → Proficient → Pleasure → Repeat!

The more you practice, the more proficient you get at reading, and the more proficient you get, the more pleasure you get out of reading, so you practice more.

What is the value of a teacher being a reader?

• encourages students to read

• model for the love of reading

Explain the value of using wordless picture books with children (4-5 benefits)

• thinking skills develop

• imagination increases

• different perspectives

• visual literacy

3 examples of wordless picture books and authors:

Journey - Aaron Becker

Ball for Daisy - Chris Raschka

Flora and The Flamingo - Molly Idle

What are 3 types of literacy that were discussed in class? (Briefly describe each one.)

1. Print literacy - physical copies of text

2. Visual literacy - interpreting pictures (graphic novels, picture books)

3. Social literacy - understanding social situations/practical usage

Know 2 African-American authors and a book they have written:

1. American Story - Kwame Alexander

2. Big! - Vashti Harrison

Please explain “respectful tasks”

This is a task that fits their current level, not too hard, but not too easy

What are 4 things teachers can change in a classroom to meet the needs of all learners? Briefly explain each.

1. Content - needs to be appropriate level, but challenging

2. Process - the process to get there can be different

3. Product - what they give us in assessment

4. Environment - we can adjust the environment

These decisions of changing a classroom is based on what 3 characteristics of students? Briefly explain.

1. Interests - what they like

2. Abilities - level and what they are capable of

3. Learning Profile - how they prefer to learn

Please name 1 genre characteristic of a folktale and give an example

• shared orally and passed down through generations

• Little Red Riding Hood

Name 1 genre characteristic of a fairy tale and give one example

• magic/supernatural

• things come in 3’s

• Cinderella

Name 1 genre characteristic of a fable and give 1 example

• characters are animals with human characteristics

• Tortoise and the Hare

What parts of Scarborough’s reading rope can be taught through literature circles?

• Background Knowledge - concepts, facts, etc.

• Verbal Reasoning - thinking critically, talk about it

• Vocabulary - best predictor for how good they will be with comprehension.

What other value is there in having literature circles?

• other people’s perspective to books

• accountability

• community builder

Author. and illustrator of the Journey trilogy

Aaron Becker

2026 Caldecott Winner (book and author)

Fireworks - Catia Chien

Author of Dr. Smith’s “connection” book, LOVE:

Matt de la Péna

Won 6 Emmy Awards for Sesame Street. is the creator of the Pigeon series, Knuffle Bunny, and the Elephant and Piggie books for young readers. Often wins the Geisel Award or Honor:

Mo Willems

Born in Scotland and wrote one of the most popular series in the history of literature, which is set in Hogwarts:

J.K. Rowling