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Big Books for Big People

Big Books for Big People PER SON A L REFLECTIONS Are instructional reading strategies that mesh with the Whole Language philosophy of learning effective with adult learners? A GED teacher in New Orleans adapted the "big book" large group reading method to ,-rt forty-year olds and answered, "YES!" New Orleans had produced a they were mature learners, wise in life's In reflection, If~1 that my lnstruc­ and with shared feelings ofkinship for gray, drizzly, winter morning. I drove a black adolescent brought tolife by lessons, so I knew that the book selec­ tional strategy was a very sucressful through it toa rundown house located tion would be crucial tothe success of one. Later, when~ visited the public ourreading. beside a large inner city church. lnside, library, I was pleased tonote that sever­ My career has now taken me tothe this project. the lights were dim; the radiators After considerable deliberation, I alstudents searched for other books college level, but recently I visited this hissed, Anaked bulb hung in the entry haven for the adult norsehooled when chose a personal favorite,! Know~ by Maya Angelou. One physically hall asa beacon tothose who entered. I was feeling melancholy. The paint the Caged Bird Sings (967) by Maya impaired student had the city bus They came, eager for a wann place, a was still peeling off the exterior walls Angelou. I scrounged an overhead retrieve her a little early from the build­ hot cup of tea, and perhaps a friendly and the bathroom smelled "daintily" projector and amazed the worker at ing's front porch. Inorder not tomiss smile with a hug, toa plare ofaecep­ asI passed, butthe students and new Kinko's by ordering transparencies of tanoe and hepe. Ten adult students, every page inthe book. teacher greeted me with the smiles and ages ~ty-l\\u toeighty, brought An early arriver had cleaned the hug; I needed for a temporary retreat dreams ofbettering their lives, hopes blackboard; school was ready tobegin! from the problems of my world. They ofcompleting educational goals, and Inmy class students workffi inde­ reminded me ofthe time~ had spent EadlClay, we left the visions ofimproved and enriched lives. pendently with a one-on-one tutorial together, and each student reminisced Ingetting there, some ofthe stu­ about the wonderful "story" ~ had approach. I stopped them at midmorn­ classroom with _ dents had jostled about onthree differ­ ing for "group time" and the oral read­ read together each day, the one with ent buses that morning and had ing ofAngelou's book while I simulta­ the beautiful words. voc3JlBy words, with walked the last l\\ublocks inthe pour­ neously tracked the words onthe I think the communal reading ing rain covered with plastic sack overhead projector. The events in! enriched ourlives inmany ways, and I ~ thoIW1ts verbaized, wnbrellas. Although some were wrin­ Know~ the Caged BirdSings­ know the experience with my students with comet.... _ kled and gray-headed, they had come the autobiography ofa young, intelli­ has touched me. Also, the Whole lan­ asexpectantly asfirst graders to their gent, seru;itive black girl reaching guage philosophy ofteaching reading IJIIICIuation reiIforced, with initial day ofschool. And I,a doctoral maturity ina small, segregated south­ and writing toadults through good lit­ student inelemental)' education, had em town-<x>mplemented nicely the erature was affirmed for me, a new fiery words written it personal come astheir teacher. life experienres of my students, most of convert. Finally, the oral reading of Iwas full ofnew philaiOphies and whom ~re minorities. this powerful book transported a jonaIs, _ with shnI instructional strategies from my recent­ The class reeled inthe strength small, insignificant GED class into a Iy completed COUl'St'\Wrk atthe Univer­ and dignity with which the oppressed gleaming gilded cage with anopen feeie of" for ablack sity of Northern Colorado. I was deter­ characters inthe book faced their daily door where its birds not only sang; they flew. , mined tomake an impact ontheir lives challenges. They marveled atthe beau­ adolescent brou&M to Ie by applying the whole language philos­ ty of the language and at the skill of q>hy for immersion in good literature, the author. The contextual vocabulary by ....... -by Kllren F. Hlea writing, and purposful learning, This introdured through this reading was Southeastern Louisiana educanonal philaiOphy utilizes multi­ very meaningful tothem. The conven­ University sensory, internctive methodologies with uors ofthe language were clearly dis­ Education Department high motivation and purpose for the played asI made the words come dra­ Hammond, louisiana students. matically alive like a bear awakening the next adventure in the book, she One instructional strategy that I after hibernation. appointed herself toremind me tostart wanted toadapt was the idea ofreading We discussed the rich style of reading by I1:00 each day. This department focuses onthe follow­ good literature aloud in the form ofa Angelou's writing, as well asthe feel­ We had laughed,~ had cried, ing types oftopics: How I became an fourteen-by-~ty-inch Big Book. This ing; itelicited inthe listeners. And,~ and~ had shivered atthe escapades adult educator; events that have was the hottest new approach atthe lit­ always finished these sessions with an Angelou's words relayed. Each day, changed my approach toirstnztion or eracy conferences and incollege open-ended discussion. Following this ~ left the classroom with new vocab­ administration; strategies that have preparatory classes for teaching ele­ discussion, the students wrote their ulary words, with beautiful thoughts helped me grow, personally and profes­ mentary-age students. reactions inpersonal journals, which verbalized, with correct grammar and sionally; the moo important learning Although my students' reading lev­ left them "hanging" for the next punctuation reiniorced, with fiery experience ofmy life. Author guidelines els ranged from second tosixth grades, episode of this real-life soap opera. words written inpersonal journals, are available from the MACE offire. June 1992 D. 25 http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Adult Learning SAGE

Big Books for Big People

Adult Learning , Volume 3 (8): 1 – Jun 1, 1992

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Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1992 American Association for Adult and Continuing Education
ISSN
1045-1595
eISSN
2162-4070
DOI
10.1177/104515959200300809
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

PER SON A L REFLECTIONS Are instructional reading strategies that mesh with the Whole Language philosophy of learning effective with adult learners? A GED teacher in New Orleans adapted the "big book" large group reading method to ,-rt forty-year olds and answered, "YES!" New Orleans had produced a they were mature learners, wise in life's In reflection, If~1 that my lnstruc­ and with shared feelings ofkinship for gray, drizzly, winter morning. I drove a black adolescent brought tolife by lessons, so I knew that the book selec­ tional strategy was a very sucressful through it toa rundown house located tion would be crucial tothe success of one. Later, when~ visited the public ourreading. beside a large inner city church. lnside, library, I was pleased tonote that sever­ My career has now taken me tothe this project. the lights were dim; the radiators After considerable deliberation, I alstudents searched for other books college level, but recently I visited this hissed, Anaked bulb hung in the entry haven for the adult norsehooled when chose a personal favorite,! Know~ by Maya Angelou. One physically hall asa beacon tothose who entered. I was feeling melancholy. The paint the Caged Bird Sings (967) by Maya impaired student had the city bus They came, eager for a wann place, a was still peeling off the exterior walls Angelou. I scrounged an overhead retrieve her a little early from the build­ hot cup of tea, and perhaps a friendly and the bathroom smelled "daintily" projector and amazed the worker at ing's front porch. Inorder not tomiss smile with a hug, toa plare ofaecep­ asI passed, butthe students and new Kinko's by ordering transparencies of tanoe and hepe. Ten adult students, every page inthe book. teacher greeted me with the smiles and ages ~ty-l\\u toeighty, brought An early arriver had cleaned the hug; I needed for a temporary retreat dreams ofbettering their lives, hopes blackboard; school was ready tobegin! from the problems of my world. They ofcompleting educational goals, and Inmy class students workffi inde­ reminded me ofthe time~ had spent EadlClay, we left the visions ofimproved and enriched lives. pendently with a one-on-one tutorial together, and each student reminisced Ingetting there, some ofthe stu­ about the wonderful "story" ~ had approach. I stopped them at midmorn­ classroom with _ dents had jostled about onthree differ­ ing for "group time" and the oral read­ read together each day, the one with ent buses that morning and had ing ofAngelou's book while I simulta­ the beautiful words. voc3JlBy words, with walked the last l\\ublocks inthe pour­ neously tracked the words onthe I think the communal reading ing rain covered with plastic sack overhead projector. The events in! enriched ourlives inmany ways, and I ~ thoIW1ts verbaized, wnbrellas. Although some were wrin­ Know~ the Caged BirdSings­ know the experience with my students with comet.... _ kled and gray-headed, they had come the autobiography ofa young, intelli­ has touched me. Also, the Whole lan­ asexpectantly asfirst graders to their gent, seru;itive black girl reaching guage philosophy ofteaching reading IJIIICIuation reiIforced, with initial day ofschool. And I,a doctoral maturity ina small, segregated south­ and writing toadults through good lit­ student inelemental)' education, had em town-<x>mplemented nicely the erature was affirmed for me, a new fiery words written it personal come astheir teacher. life experienres of my students, most of convert. Finally, the oral reading of Iwas full ofnew philaiOphies and whom ~re minorities. this powerful book transported a jonaIs, _ with shnI instructional strategies from my recent­ The class reeled inthe strength small, insignificant GED class into a Iy completed COUl'St'\Wrk atthe Univer­ and dignity with which the oppressed gleaming gilded cage with anopen feeie of" for ablack sity of Northern Colorado. I was deter­ characters inthe book faced their daily door where its birds not only sang; they flew. , mined tomake an impact ontheir lives challenges. They marveled atthe beau­ adolescent brou&M to Ie by applying the whole language philos­ ty of the language and at the skill of q>hy for immersion in good literature, the author. The contextual vocabulary by ....... -by Kllren F. Hlea writing, and purposful learning, This introdured through this reading was Southeastern Louisiana educanonal philaiOphy utilizes multi­ very meaningful tothem. The conven­ University sensory, internctive methodologies with uors ofthe language were clearly dis­ Education Department high motivation and purpose for the played asI made the words come dra­ Hammond, louisiana students. matically alive like a bear awakening the next adventure in the book, she One instructional strategy that I after hibernation. appointed herself toremind me tostart wanted toadapt was the idea ofreading We discussed the rich style of reading by I1:00 each day. This department focuses onthe follow­ good literature aloud in the form ofa Angelou's writing, as well asthe feel­ We had laughed,~ had cried, ing types oftopics: How I became an fourteen-by-~ty-inch Big Book. This ing; itelicited inthe listeners. And,~ and~ had shivered atthe escapades adult educator; events that have was the hottest new approach atthe lit­ always finished these sessions with an Angelou's words relayed. Each day, changed my approach toirstnztion or eracy conferences and incollege open-ended discussion. Following this ~ left the classroom with new vocab­ administration; strategies that have preparatory classes for teaching ele­ discussion, the students wrote their ulary words, with beautiful thoughts helped me grow, personally and profes­ mentary-age students. reactions inpersonal journals, which verbalized, with correct grammar and sionally; the moo important learning Although my students' reading lev­ left them "hanging" for the next punctuation reiniorced, with fiery experience ofmy life. Author guidelines els ranged from second tosixth grades, episode of this real-life soap opera. words written inpersonal journals, are available from the MACE offire. June 1992 D. 25

Journal

Adult LearningSAGE

Published: Jun 1, 1992

There are no references for this article.