A literacy strategy we talked about, in detail, was pairing texts. This consists of choosing a fiction text and a non-fiction text that can be related in some way that allows students to compare and contrast the genres. I chose the fiction book Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, and the non-fiction book, Normal, by Magdalena and Nathaniel Newman. Both of these books deal with young boys with craniofacial differences. The paired text was designed using 5th and 6th grade Reading, Writing, Fine Arts, Music, and Health SOLs, as well as Library Connections. This is a resource that can be used in a library or the classroom to help kids understand that being different is awesome!
AASL Standards
1.1 Learner Development
3.1 Reading Engagement
Paired-Reading-Mullis-1AASL Standards 1.1 Learner Development and 3.1 Reading Engagement were targeted in this assignment.
When I chose books to use for this assignment, I wanted to choose books that had meaning and could make a difference in people’s lives. The subject of Wonder and Normal allows for learner development as students read about the difficulties of the two boys and the ways they overcome obstacles in their lives. Students have to think about the ways a physical abnormality affect people and grow in their thinking. The two genres of text allow for reading engagement. The subject matter of the fiction and nonfiction books address diverse development and the learning needs of those with special circumstances.