Ohio Wesleyan Education Professor’s Latest Book Tackles ‘Teaching Children’s Literature in an Era of Standards’
Amy A. McClure, Ph.D., chair of Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Education, is co-author of the new book, ‘Teaching Children’s Literature in an Era of Standards.’ McClure, a 1972 OWU graduate, has written or co-written seven books on children’s literature. (Photo by Malone and Company Photography)
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University professor Amy A. McClure offers this advice to educators struggling to teach children’s literature in the current era of curriculum standards: Don’t read too much into the standards, just read.
“With all the national mandates of No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, the 21st Century Skills Framework, and now the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), we heard teachers worrying that they can no longer spend time with literature and foster the varied responses students make as they read real books that are engaging and challenging,” said McClure, Ph.D., professor and chair of Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Education.
“We totally understood these concerns,” continued McClure, who co-authored the recently published book “Teaching Children’s Literature in an Era of Standards” with University of Maine faculty members Abigail V. Garthwait, Ed.D., and Janice V. Kristo, Ph.D.
“We also passionately believed that teachers can meet the mandates of testing and standards by sharing engaging, challenging books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry with their students, then creating interesting lessons that require students to dig deeply into all kinds of literature,” McClure said of the group’s motivation for writing the book. “In fact, we contend that those students will not only master the skills mandated by standards, but they will surpass these expectations if given the opportunity to respond thoughtfully to books of substance.”
Topics covered in the book include responses to literature, teaching strategies for the focused use of children’s books, supporting literacy development, and fostering a love of reading. One reviewer states: “ ‘Teaching Children’s Literature in an Era of Standards’ is full of needed content, yet conveys it in a welcoming, conversational manner that helps students engage with the material and learn how to balance policy, standards, and true reading.”
McClure, a 1972 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan, has written or co-written seven books in the field of children’s literature, including “Living Literature: Using Children’s Literature to Support Reading and Language Arts,” “Books That Invite Talk, Wonder and Play With Language,” and “Sunrises & Songs: Reading and Writing Poetry in an Elementary Classroom.”
She has been a member of Ohio Wesleyan’s faculty since 1979 and, in addition to serving as chair of the Department of Education, she also is chair of the university Honors Program.
McClure previously taught in elementary and preschools as a teacher, reading specialist, and coordinator of gifted education. She also has served as president of the Children’s Literature Assembly, the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association, the Ohio Reading Teachers, and the Ohio Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
In addition to her OWU bachelor’s degree, McClure holds a master’s degree from Emory University and both master’s and doctoral degrees from The Ohio State University. Learn more about McClure and Ohio Wesleyan’s Department of Education at https://www.owu.edu/academics/departments-programs/department-of-education/.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 86 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,750 students represent 46 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.