Grand Conversations (Updated Edition): Literature Groups in Action

By Maryann Eeds and Ralph Peterson

Book Overview

This updated edition of a 1990 classic advocates the use of real books in a classroom context that places children's enjoyment and interpretation of literature at the center. New material includes a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439926459
• ISBN13: 9780439926454
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Scholastic Teaching Resources
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.3" x 7.5"

Customer Reviews

From a librarian's perspective

Peterson, Ralph and Maryann Eeds. 1990. GRAND CONVERSATIONS: LITERATURE GROUPS IN ACTION. New York: Scholastic. GRAND CONVERSATIONS: LITERATURE GROUPS IN ACTION starts with explaining the difference between teaching with textbooks and "real" books. Peterson and Eeds breaks this method of teaching using "real" books into five sections (Teaching with real books, A literature-based reading program, Beliefs and practices, Literary Elements, and Teachers at work) with a reference list and book list at the end. Chapter two outlines the four components needed for this type of program to be successful. The first component is the stories in the home and is a key in the language development. It is stated that "all homes have stories. While in some families a rich oral exchange of narratives has primacy, in others there is an equal emphasis on reading to children from storybooks" (p. 8). The second component is sharing stories "from all kinds of books, by many different authors, about all kinds of subjects" (p. 8) to anchor the sounds of language, promote joy, create a sense of belonging to the group, become aware of many forms of writing and ways of thinking about stories. The third component is providing time for children to read extensively without having to follow through on an assignment over the material read. The fourth component is intensive reading which is "aimed at giving deliberate thought to the literary experience" (p. 12). Chapter three reflects on the four basic beliefs Peterson and Eeds hold concerning working with literature: stories are journeys through the human life experience, students will gain true meaning in literature when they take ownership of the story by interpreting within their own life experiences, students will learn to construct meaning best through dialogue with peers and the teacher, and teachers need to be willing to accept all interpretations and to enter into the dialogue without an agenda to be followed. Peterson and Eeds state that these beliefs are fundamental in creating a successful literature-based reading program. Chapter four discusses the indirect teaching of literary elements by letting stories that have multiple layers of action and meaning taking place teach concepts such as story structure and characters. This chapter gives examples of how to move from surface teaching to students using literature to create their own meaning of concepts such as plot, character, place, point of view, time, mood, and symbolism. Chapter five discusses putting literature studies into action in your own classroom with ideas and real-life examples on involving the parents, reading aloud, extensive reading (choosing, keeping track of, and sharing the books read), intensive reading, reading/dialog plans, and evaluation methods. Several organizational forms are provides as a starting point in the process of making the literature study unique to the teachers' individual student and classroom needs. The reference list con

Diverse Discussions

While many teachers, and schools buy into basils because they are idiot-proof, simple to instruct, as well as simple to evaluate, many teachers are becoming aware that while many students succeed on standardized tests, they lack problem-solving, critical-thinking skills. Since these skills cannot be tested on current standardized tests, they are often overlooked or pushed aside. However, for students to succeed in careers, as well as life, that require innovative, creative, and "outside the box" solutions, we need to foster such thinking early in life. How can we teachers help our students become independent thinkers? Eeds and Peterson (1990) suggest using dialogue and conversations in the classroom. Dialogue opens the door for individualized learning. This allows all students the ability to participate in conversations. Dialogue allows all students to achieve and grow using skills that are difficult for textbooks to accomplish. The ability for all students to participate, and the freedom to respond without the fear of being wrong can lead the students to begin to look deeper. This can lead into what we all want our students to become: independent.