Subscribing to Critical Literacy Theory entails the careful examination and evaluation of text in order to “see” multiple versions of the same story. It requires deliberately questioning the voices of the majority perspective by bringing those of the oppressed to the forefront. It involves analyzing the structure and content of words and images to understandContinue reading “Critical Literacy Theory”
Author Archives: Melissa
The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage
Do you like fast-paced stories that leave you sitting on the edge of your seat? Do you enjoy fantastical tales full of secrets and suspense? If the answer is yes, then prepare to be swept away on an exciting adventure down the river Thames. Eleven-year-old Malcolm Polstead works at his parents’ inn in Oxford, England,Continue reading “The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage”
The Gardener
The Gardener written by Sarah Stewart; illustrated by David Small Stewart, S. (1997). The gardener. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. Category: Historical fiction picture book Summary: Lydia Grace Finch is sent to help her uncle Jim in his bakery in the city. A gardener at heart, Lydia is on a mission to make her surly uncleContinue reading “The Gardener”
Teaching Is Like . . .
When I was an undergrad at SUNY Cortland, one of my Foundations and Social Advocacy professors asked us students to think of a metaphor to describe what it means to be a teacher. As someone who enjoys nature and digging in the dirt, I have always imagined that being a teacher is a lot likeContinue reading “Teaching Is Like . . .”
Why “Books and Bloom”?
For several years now, I have been wanting to start a blog. But what to call it? While not the only factor holding me back—would anyone read what I wrote? would they even want to?—I’m embarrassed to admit that the lack of a title was an admittedly convenient excuse. In truth, I was standing onContinue reading “Why “Books and Bloom”?”
What is Literacy?
When I think of the term literacy, I picture a Matryoshka, one of those wooden stacking toys in which one doll opens to reveal another slightly smaller version of itself. Literacy is the outermost doll. When taken apart, it reveals the skills and knowledge needed to communicate with others. The smallest doll, the solid woodenContinue reading “What is Literacy?”
