Chris DeVita 301031121

Arthur
/ Beneficial as a Set of Texts in an Elementary Classroom

The Arthur collection is a series of books that have been an incredibly large part of my childhood reading collection. As a child, I have grown with this collection and associated closely with the main character. The collection offers young readers a set of stories not only about the lead character, but of their own lives. For example, the Arthur collection demonstrates the daily pressures that young individuals face in their lives, and

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offers solutions on how to deal with them. Ultimately, the Arthur collection allows young students to grow with a relatable main character who demonstrates rolemodel qualities.

Second Story Headline

The Arthur collection can have a wide range of audiences. Initially, Marc Brown has written Arthur books with a young audience (Kindergarten to Grade 3) in mind. Since then, the Arthur series has evolved to encourage young adults to read through the production of short pictorial novels. In doing this, young adults who continue to associate with the main character can continue to seek advice through innovative books depicting Arthur as a teen going through middle-/high-school. Given the wide range of both male and female animal characters, all individuals can associate with the character without thoughts of reading a male- or femaleoriented book. The Arthur series can be reliable to resolve endings in a happy and appropriate manner that allow for the development of knowledge in the reader, proving to be an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Book Blurbs

Blurb that Introduces the Set to the Classroom:

Do you enjoy adventures? Meet Arthur Read! Arthur is an eight-year-old Aardvark who has a lot of friends, a great family, and an adventurous and fun life. Sometimes, however, he has problems that he doesnt know how to deal with. For example, he sometimes has problems at school with his friends, at home with his sister, or even at the park with his dog. Read about Arthur for his fun adventures and interesting problems!
Q u ic k T i m e a n d a d e c o m p re s so r a r e n e e d e d t o s e e t h is p i c t u r e .

Arthurs Classroom Fib

Everyone loves summer vacation. Sometimes, we are really busy and do amazing things and other times we just rest and relax. Like everyone, I get very nervous when summer vacation ends and I have to come back to school. When Arthur gets back from summer vacation, he is really nervous too. In fact, he is so nervous, he decides to make up things he never did. What do you think he was so nervous about? Why did he make up things he never did over the summer break? Read Arthurs Classroom Fib to find out!

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Book Blurbs
Arthur and the Big Snow
No school! Arthurs school was cancelled because it snowed too much. Arthur went home and got ready to sled with his friends on the hill. Theres only one problem- his dad said he cant go outside until the snow on the street has been ploughed. How do you think Arthur felt? Did he get to go sledding? Why would Arthurs dad not want him to go outside until the streets are ploughed? Read Arthur and the Big Snow for some fun in the snow!

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Arthurs Underwear
Everyone close your eyes, and picture yourself at school. Youre quietly sitting in your desk, when your friend next to you drops a pencil. You get up to get it off the floor, when you hear a big RIP! Oh no! Your pants ripped. Everyones laughing. What would you do!? In Arthurs Underwear, Arthurs pants ripped in the cafeteria. He feels publicly humiliated because everyones laughing at him. Will he ever go to school again? Read Arthurs Underwear for some funny adventures!

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Educational Rationale
-There are numerous reasons to include these books in a primary elementary school class. The series is excellent for read-a-louds to young-primary students as the set features numerous pictorial representations, allowing children to visualize the character. The books can also be read alone by students in Grades 1-3. This allows children the independence to choose their own book and challenge their reading skills. -The Arthur series deals with real-life situations in which young children can relate to. -Each story entails a challenging situation in which the lead character must deal with. -Every story ends with a positive and constructive conclusion. -Can be frequently used as a teachable moment for teachers in the classroom. -Can be used as a tool to settle a noisy or disruptive classroom after recess or lunch hour. -The series has also catered to young adults. Young children can continue to read about Arthur as they age through the young-adult short pictorial novel series. This allows students to associate with the character even as a young adult while continuing to challenge their reading skills. -Arthur also has a prominent and fully-developed internet-based website. Students can continue to be educated with Arthur while learning about computer and internet use in a safe and controlled environment. Students can obtain colouring pages, play interactive games, and interact with characters. In addition, all Arthur audio books can be purchased and used on the computer, while the interactive books can be purchased for the iPhone. This not only allows young children the freedom to view books on numerous mediums, but allows students become technologically literate at a very young age while being educated in the Language Arts in an appropriate manner. -Supplementing the Arthur series, there are numerous lesson plans for teachers and parents that incorporates the lessons of the books into school. This can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/parents/arthur/lesson/index.html

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Uses

Use in the Language Arts Program

Read-a-Louds: Students at a young age (Kindergarten) will benefit greatly from the pictorial representations and story of the book through read-a-louds. Arthur series provides a foundation in which simple sentence structure can be introduced to young children. If in a late-intermediate class, encourage students to read instead. Journal Entry: After reading the book to the entire class, encourage students to summarize the stories events in their journal. After summarizing, allow students to write about their own experience they encountered. Get students to describe what happened, why they were upset, and how they solved the problem. Computer Lab: After reading the story, allow the students to play on Arthur website (http://pbskids.org/arthur/). Students can play interactive games, print out and colour colouring-pages, complete word-searches and connect the dot, and participate in interactive read-and-play. Story-Making: After several Arthur books have been introduced to the class, allow students to get into groups and write their own story. The story must include several characters (one character per student), a problem that Arthur has, how it was solved, and how all the characters feel once the problem has been resolved. Once written, students are to act-out their own story in front of the class. Book-Share: Given the number of Arthur books in the series, students may have some at home. Instruct students to bring any Arthur books to class from their personal library (if possible). Students are to share their books, providing an opportunity to further explore the Arthur series. This will allow students an opportunity to connect with other students through the interest in similar books. This may also lend itself to the potential development of in-class Literature Circles.

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Evidence and References

Evidence
-Exhaustive literature reviews strongly suggest that the supplemental use of picture books, such as the Arthur series, increases engagement and learning among all students at all instructional levels (Reiker, 2011). - Ample research demonstrates that reading aloud to young children promotes the development of language and other emergent literacy skills, which in turn help children prepare for school (Duursma et al., 2008). -Appealing factors that contribute to students engagement in the reading of books consist of likeable characters, familiar storylines that are applicable to life, and familiar writing styles, qualities that persist in the Arthur series. Some students also noted that the availability of series books positively affected their choices (Maynard et al., 2008). -Goals of the Arthur series are to help foster an interest in reading and writing, to encourage positive social skills, and to model age-appropriate problem-solving strategies (PBS, 2011).

References
Brown, M. (2007). Arthurs Classroom Fib. New York: Little Brown and Company. Brown, M. (2005). Arthur and the Big Snow. New York: Little Brown and Company. Brown, M. (2001). Arthurs Underwear. New York: Little Brown and Company. Duursma, E., Augustyn, M., Zuckerman, B., Reading Aloud to Children: the Evidence (2011). Archives of Disease in Childhood. 93(7), 554-557). Reiker, M., "The Use of Picture Books in the High School Classroom: A Qualitative Case Study" (2011). Masters of Liberal Studies Theses. Paper 5. http://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls/5 Maynard, S., Mackay, S., & Smyth, F. (2008). A survey of young people's reading in England: Borrowing and choosing books. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 40(4), 239-253. PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 30 July 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/parents/arthur/program/ed_philosophy.html>.