Trade books have a lot of strengths to them and are more interesting to a child because it doesn't give information that the child sees as useless. One of the key strengths that really stood out was that trade books are available to all reading levels. The article states, "Publishers such as Rigby, Sunshine, and Newbridge have whole catalogs listing and describing informational books for emergent, early, and transitional readers" (Alverman 45). Unlike a textbook where everyone has to read the same information the same way, a trade book can keep everyone on the same topic but provide the information in various ways. Also, trade books can be ordered for ELL students. Trade books include pictures and short sentences about different topics that make it easier for ELL students to understand instead of overwhelming them with a huge textbook full of words they don't understand.
Lastly, trade books can be used with textbooks as well. The students can look at textbooks for more information on a subject if they need to. The two go hand in hand which is great for teachers because this way more resources are available to them. I really think this article is useful and the strengths out number the limitations.
Response to Laura
ReplyDeleteI agree with Laura that trade books offer more flexibility for both capturing students and helping teachers differentiate their instruction. As Laura said, textbooks are often written for one learner and all students must absorb the language and words the same way. Trade books offer opportunities for students to control what they want to learn and be the drivers of the knowledge they retain. Trade books are become more and more apart of daily classroom instruction, and I think this is a fabulous step for our education system as a whole.
I definitely agree with Laura that trade books are a great alternative to textbooks because it provides the information in an easier way to understand. Textbooks are boring and the print is always the same. Trade books change it up and the variety applies to different grade levels even ELL students which I feel is a huge asset. As future teachers we need to find resources that apply to differeniated instruction and trade books are a great option. Kids love pictures and informational text that is appealing, which only makes them want to learn more about it. That is when you can then turn to the textbook for more information as Laura said.
ReplyDeleteLaura, I most certainly agree with your perspective on utilizing trade books in the classroom. I was one of those students who groaned when the teacher asked us to take out our textbooks or read for homework. A majority of the time trade books are smaller in size, which makes it look less intimidating and overwhelming than a textbook. I personally enjoy reading trade books. I like to look at the photographs and captions presented. Sometimes I skip the text part and read only the captions and I still feel like I learn a lot of information. I think this article proved an excellent point in stating that utilizing trade books in the classroom can be just as effective as using a textbook.
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