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By Elaine Israel
When using literature-based videos to enhance the reading experiences of your students, all you'll be missing is the popcorn
My nine-year-old cousin, Hannah, loves two activities; she loves to read and she loves to watch videos. Hannah will check out a library book and then immediately search for her story on video. It's hard to believe that this is the same child whose parents panicked when Hannah, at age four or so, suddenly announced that she didn't like books.
What brought about such a dramatic and wonderful change in attitude? There's no scientific explanation and her parents and teacher swear that they exerted no influence. One day, Hannah watched a "Thomas the Tank Engine" video and the next day she asked for a copy of the book. She made the connection between the two on her own and is now both well-read and one very VCR-savvy kid.
You might already know this, but it bears repeating. Literature-based videos, particularly those for classroom use, are unique tools for motivating children not only to learn how to read, but also to read for the pure exhilaration of the experience.
Chain reactions. So what makes stories on video good motivators? Good videos can be incredibly engaging. They encourage children who might not otherwise be curious or interested enough to take that extra step and go read the book. The half-hour "Reading Rainbow" videos, for example, focus on all sorts of special books. But as fans of the PBS series know, each show is also centered on a concept. On one of my favorite "Reading Rainbow" videos, the concept that's being discussed is chain reaction. In one segment of the video, we watch people, including the personable host, LeVar Burton, bowling. As I'm sure you know, bowling can truly be a hilarious event, but by watching this segment, kids are able to make the connection to chain reaction. Thousands of falling dominos also present a mesmerizing example of a chain reaction. The book featured on this particular video is If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff (HarperTrophy, 1996). Not only is it a delicious story, but it's also a witty description of a chain reaction.
Making connections."Beyond the Page," from Disney Educational Productions, approaches reading from a different but equally effective direction. This series of videos includes multicultural books such as Visiting Langston by Willie Perdomo (Holt, 2002) and I Love Saturdays y Domingos by Alma Flor Ada (Atheneum, 2002). The storytelling is always followed by interviews with the authors, illustrators and people with connections to the subject.
A teacher I know has often used the "Beyond the Page" videos with her second graders. She felt that her students really connected with the books, especially Henry's First-Moon Birthday by Lenore Look (Atheneum, 2001), which she featured as part of a Chinese New Year celebration. First, she read the book aloud and then discussed it with the children. Later, she showed the video and couldn't get over how entranced her students became by the story.
Teaching, not preaching. Top-of-the-line videos that are loaded with extras give teachers a much-needed helping hand. Many literature-based video series enclose helpful printed guides that make these lessons even more valuable for both you and your students. Viewers will come away from the videos having learned about a new person, place or animal or watched a gentle lesson on an important issue such as tolerance. The operative word here is "gentle." There's no preaching in this teaching, unlike the filmstrips I remember from my own school days.
It's arguably more difficult to motivate kids to read nonfiction, poetry and biographies than it is to encourage them to read fiction. I've found video series cover a variety of genres. Muhammad Ali, Langston Hughes, Duke Ellington and other great men and women are among the many subjects of some wonderful literature-based videos.
Videos have a special place in the classroom when used appropriately – not as time fillers or as "babysitters." Most importantly, we have to remember that the video should never be a substitute for the book itself.
I hope you and your students have a wonderful time reading – and watching – together!
Why Classroom Videos Work
- Literature-based videos fit in with the goals of national, state and local literacy programs. Videos not only encourage reading, but also provide patience in improving writing and listening skills.
- They are a unique way to introduce reluctant readers to a variety of genres, such as fiction, biography, poetry and mysteries – to name a few.
- Their animation, narration and music appeal to a generation that's used to TV, commercial videos and video games.
- Videos offer a change of pace in the classroom.
- They can be the first step in leading kids toward learning about and using libraries.
- They focus on ideas, people, places and animals that children may have no other opportunity to learn about.
- They are entertaining and a lot of fun.
- Read the book aloud.
- Explain and discuss difficult words.
- Discuss unfamiliar concepts.
- Introduce and place in context unfamiliar times and places.
- After reading the book, sit back and enjoy the show!
- Most literature-based videos mentioned in this article are for children ages five to nine. However, I've found that many do appeal to older children and adults who have a sense of curiosity and humor.
- They can run anywhere from 10 minutes to a half-hour long, so be sure to plan your day accordingly.
- These types of videos cover a variety of curriculum areas. Many are perfect tie-ins to special celebrations such as Black History Month and Chinese New Year. The possibilities truly are endless!
Elaine Israel is a longtime editor and writer of materials for teachers and students. She lives in New York City.
