Junior Great Books Makes Reading Fun

ESL and former ESL students at John Philip Sousa Elementary School recently tested their reading ability and critical thinking skills with ESL teacher and Junior Books Foundation leader Ivan Erickson.

During the 10-week Junior Great Books program, a literature discussion group made up of about 10 third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, the ESL students focused on developing essential reading comprehension skills by reading the works of Hans Christian Andersen, Langston Hughes, Alma Flor Ada, Ray Bradbury and folktales from around the world.

"This is a great opportunity for kids to study advanced material that they are not inclined to tackle," Erickson said. "The short stories and poems chosen by Junior Great Books are rare, but the themes, such as bullying and honesty are themes the children can relate to."

During each weekly session, the students were asked to read the stories three times. After the first reading they were asked superficial questions, just to make sure they understood the story, Erickson explained. Students then read the stories a second time and were asked interpretative questions about the intent of the author and to analyze the characters' intentions. After the third reading, the students were asked to write about how the stories connected to their lives.

"Basically kids get to see advanced vocabulary that they wouldn't get to see in class," said Erickson who has been teaching the Junior Great Books program for 10 years.

The students taking part in the program, which focuses on English Language Learners, are chosen based on the scores on state testing. The program is funded by a grant written by a coordinator at Schreiber High School.

"I like going to Junior Great Books because you learn a lot of stuff, have fun and read interesting stories," fifth-grader Jamie Alavarez said. "The discussions are really interesting because you learn from each other."

Fifth-grader Michael Rivas agreed. "Going to Junior Great Books is fun because we get to have fun, read stories and meet other kids," he said.

The program ended with certificates being handed out by school Principal Dr. David Meoli and an ice cream party.

"They get to read for pleasure," Erickson said about the program. "They learn to react to what they read in a mature way in the classroom."