Language in Children’s Fiction-Overview

Kathleen AhrensHong Kong Baptist UniversityClass #1 & 2 – January 17 & 24, 2011

Your Background

Focus of area in children’s literature? Visited Bookstore in past month? Own English picture books? Interest in teaching English?

Why do we read fiction to children?

Poems with Pictures

Tell us about the world

Teach language

Picture books – for language teaching For beginning and

intermediate learners – to engage and stimulate interest in learning the language

For advanced learners – to practice oral proficiency and to offer opportunities for discussion

Overview: Children’s Fiction Board Books Toddler Picture Books Early Picture Books Picture Books Easy Readers Chapter Books Mid-grade Novels Young Adult novels

Baby Books/ infant board booksInfant - 2 years

Length varies Little or no text Bright art Nursery rhymes Includes novelty books such as bathtub

books and lift-the-flap Use: Teaching colors, shapes, object

names Example: Freight Train

Freight Train – Donald Crews

Toddler Picture Books Under 300 words – 12 pages Read-alouds that can be completed withi

n ten minutes Bright art that tells the story Repetitive language Happy endings

Example: The Very Hungry Catepillar

The Very Hungry Catepillar

Early Picture Books Average 24 - 32 pages – 1000 words Art gives details of story Simple story with beginning, middle,

and end Present tense Some repetitive language

Example: Where the Wild Things Are

Repetition

Picture Books Average 32 pages – up to 1500 words Up to 48 pages and 2000 words for nonfic

tion Sentences ten words or under Simple prefixes and suffixes Possessives and past tense are okay Art supports the text Example: Weslandia

Easy Readers 32 to 48 pages – up to 1500 words As few as 3 – 5 sentences per page Vary sentence length up to ten words. Color illustrations Trade trim size Characters have some trait that makes

them easy to identify Controlled vocabulary

Example: Railroad Toad

Easy Readers

Variety of levels Can be used at any stage, depending

on level Advantages: Inexpensive, well-

controlled vocabulary Disadvantages: smaller size, simpler

illustrations

Chapter Books

First novels Past beginning readers stage Wide vocabulary More complicated sentence structure Ages 5-8 Similar to easy-to-read (short

paragraphs, plenty of white space, pictures)

Chapter Books

Similar to novels: Chapter divisions, more extended time frame

May approach a standard 8-12 (mid-grade) novel in look and feel (but not in length

About 6,000-8,000 words Example: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Mid-grade Books

12,000 – 25,000 words 8-12 years 7-11 years or 9-13 years Read widely and deeply – not too

much homework just yet Bud, Not Buddy – Christopher Paul

Curtis

Young Adult/Teen Books

Teenage protagonist Range of genres: historical,

contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, romance, realism

40,000 – 80,000 words (about 100 pages shorter than an adult novel)

Example: Celine, Brock Cole

Questions?