Recently I’ve seen such a push from teachers to include picture books at all grade levels. I love this! It makes my teacher heart sing out with joy! One of my favorite courses in college was my children’s literature course. Why? Well, first of all, because I love books and have a deep appreciation for stories. More importantly, each class started with our teacher reading a picture book aloud to us. It was where I first met Elephant and Piggie. I first encountered the wonderful writing of Jacqueline Woodson in that room. Beginning the class with read aloud calmed me down and allowed me to focus in.
Reading is a magical time and books are meant for readers. Books don’t ask for a specific kind of reader. They were written and now they want to be read. I love reading picture books and I can tell you they are beneath my reading level. Let’s let students fall in love with reading, no matter what they are reading.
Thoughts? I would love to hear them in the comments below.
