Bridging Young Adult Literature to the Classics

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Bridging Young Adult Literature to the Classics

• Jennifer Feldman
• ECI 521
• TAS presentation

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My Position

• Belief in the value of YA lit
• Belief that YA lit has necessary place in
  secondary English classroom
• Belief in effectiveness of pairing YA novels with
  similar classic novels

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• The only two elements common in the classics
  that some contemporary young adult novels lack
  are plot complexity and dull, lengthy
  descriptions.
• -D.R. Gallo (2001)

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Another problem is that YA books havent been
around long enough to be canonized.
-Chris Crowe
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The Big Idea

• Young adult literature can be particularly
  effective for supporting the growth of literary
  understanding when it is used to bridge more
  complex texts.
• The most common method of bridging is to read a
  young adult novel that is deliberately chosen to
  introduce a theme or literary technique used in
  an adult work the class will read.
• -Knickerbocker Rycik (2002)

• Also make connections in the opposite direction

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Reasons for pairing YA Lit with the Classics

• Satisfies national standards
• Increases motivation to read
• Encourages reluctant readers
• Addresses diverse populations
• Improves literary skills
• Creates connections
• Deepens understanding

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Satisfying National Standards

• Students read a wide range of literature from
  many periods in many genres to build an
  understanding of the many dimensions of human
  experience.
• -Standards for the English Language
  Arts
• International Reading Association
  National Council of Teachers of
  English

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Increasing Motivation to Read

• We shouldnt teach great books until we have
  taught a love of reading.
• -Chris Crowe (2000)
• Educators need to disrupt this status quo,
  using both high-powered young adult literature
  linked to content-area concepts and interpretive
  activities and discussions that engage students.
• -Thomas Bean (2002)

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Encouraging Reluctant Readers

• When dealing with nonreaders, English teachers
  can use selected YAL in a milk before meat
  approach to hook nonreaders with high interest,
  fast-paced YA novels that might lead to more
  reading in the future.
• -Chris Crowe (1998)

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Addressing Diverse Populations

• Increasing racial and ethnic diversity
• Important to help students connect
• Diversity in literature
• Lacking in classic literature
• Previously unheard voices in YA Lit
• Solution
• Pairing classic literature with diverse YA lit

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Improving Literacy Skills

• Practice with easy books increases fluency,
  expands vocabulary, and allows readers to apply
  comprehension strategies in a context where they
  are likely to succeed.
• -Knickerbocker Rycik (2002)
• Young adult literature is the vehicle that
  allows teachers to present the same literary
  elements found in the classics while engaging
  adolescent students in stimulating classroom
  discussions and assignments.
• -Santoli Wagner (2004)

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Creating Connections

• YA Lit fosters connections in adolescent readers
  not often achieved by classic literature.
• Pairing allows for the creation and transfer of
  connections to students lives.
• Example pairing
• Night by Elie Wiesel
• If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan

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Deepening Understanding Of All Texts

• YA lit introduces complex themes and issues found
  in classic lit in a more user-friendly manner.
• Example pairing
• The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck Out of
  the Dust, by Karen Hesse

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A Precaution for Educators

• The process involves making links that are
  vibrant and personal. Joining young adult
  literature with adult literature wont provide
  optimum success unless such a link occurs.
• -Knickerbocker Rycik (2002)

• Creating Stronger Links
• Thematic units or groupings of texts
• Connections Notebook

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Debunking the Great Books Myth

• Case in point
• Sarah Herz, former literary snob
• Tedious, unpleasant environment caused by barrage
  of classic novels
• Change in atmosphere after integrating YA Lit ?
  positive attitudes, desire to read
• Conclusion YA Lit can be pathway for discovering
  and appreciating classic lit

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Furthering the InvestigationMy TLWYA Project

• Topic
• YA Lit as a springboard to the classics
• Essential Inquiry Question
• Can young adult literature be used effectively
  as a bridge to the classics in the English
  classroom to promote a deeper understanding and
  greater appreciation of literature?
• Plan of Action
• Pairing of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
• Online discussion forums
• Connections Formal evaluation

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Questions for Discussion
Essential QuestionCan young adult literature
be used effectively as a bridge to the classics
in the English classroom to promote a deeper
understanding and greater appreciation of
literature?
Sub-questions-What literature should we teach
in the secondary English classroom?-Should the
literary canon open up to include young adult
literature?-Does YA lit have a place in the AP
classroom?-Can YA lit be effectively used to
foster life-long readers and encourage a
closer reading of the classics?
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Moment of Zen

• If teachers remember that their goal is to help
  students find pleasure in reading and if they
  foster this goal through student choice and
  through the use of YA novels as bridges to the
  classics, students will develop reading habits
  that will carry them into adulthood.
• -Sarah Herz