Research has shown that students can benefit from the inclusion of trade books, but they must be of high quality (Morrow, Pressley, Smith, & Smith, Wigfield, & VonSecker, 2000; Fang &Wei, 2010).
To have any hope of kids investing fully in the subject matter, we have to start by evoking their curiosity and get them interested in the topic. Engaging the students can’t wait. If we wait for the fun stuff that might pop up later, the kids will have already jumped ship.”
Trade books—whether picture books, fiction, nonfiction, or poetry—have the potential to motivate students with intense involvement in a subject and the power to develop in-depth understanding in ways not imagined a few years ago.. Vacca and Vacca (2014) p. 345.
When teachers make the transition from textbook only classrooms to multitext classrooms, the focus of study becomes concepts rather than the content of one particular book. I know of no one textbook that contains enough information to help a student become even mildly expert on any topic. Gail Ivey (2002)
Text sets are collections of resources from different genre, media, and levels of reading difficulty that are designed to be supportive of the learning of readers with a range of experiences and interests.
A text set collection focuses on one concept or topic and can include multiple genres such as books, charts and maps, informational pamphlets, poetry and songs, photographs, non-fiction books, almanacs or encyclopedias.
Directions: Around the room are various texts based on your subject areas. With a partner (or two) discover the four points on your “Searching for a Possible Text Set.”
What you are looking for: 1. Explore a concept. 2. Question an idea that you might explore with your future class. 3. Find a new perspective. 4. Seek a quote worth noting.