ENG 495: Intro to the Critical Pedagogy of Children's Literature
Spring 2007
Tuesdays, 5:30-8:20, STV 214
Dr. Karen Coats
Office Hours: Tuesdays,
Thursday 11-12, and by appt. (438-3740)
(The calendar is tentative and a work in progress. If you have articles that you have found especially useful to you, please let me know so that we can add them. Check here frequently for updates on readings, assignments, and class notes.)
Because of the snow cancellation on February 6, everything on the calendar has been pushed back a week. We will make up the class by meeting during finals week.
Required Texts:
Egoff, et al, 3rd. edition
Only Connect
The Norton Anthology of Children’s Literature
Nodelman, The Pleasures of Children’s Literature
Sadler, Glenn, Teaching Children’s Literature
Other Readings:
Articles will be
available electronically by clicking on the links on
the calendar. The second half of the semester
will be devoted largely to reading primary texts that are available in
bookstores and libraries.
Course
Description
This course is an introduction to the critical pedagogy of children’s and adolescent literature. It is intended not only for students who have children’s literature as their primary field of study, but also for anyone who is interested in teaching children’s literature at the university or community college level. We will discuss such issues as canon formation and its discontents; program development and the place of youth literature in the undergraduate curriculum; what constitutes essential theoretical knowledge in the field; intelligent syllabus design; effective assignment sequencing; integrating theory into classroom practice; considerations of audience in the children’s literature classroom; special considerations involved in teaching various genre, such as picture books, graphic novels, and children’s poetry. The course will involve a significant amount of reading, especially of primary texts.