CHAPTER 4

Developing
Children’s
Understanding of
Literary Texts
 INTRODUCTION:
Teaching literature is not
only for the literary text to be
affectively appreciated. It can
be used improve the pupil’s
literacy.
By doing so, teachers need to
ensure that their pupils are
using their cognitive skills
while they are actively
engaged in each lesson.
Learning is active when the
pupils create their own
understanding of the text using
their own cognitive learning
style.
At the end of this chapter, you are expected to:
• apply various teaching strategies and techniques to ensure
critical thinking of your pupils in a literature class.
• analyze teaching situations that need the application of the
teaching strategies; and
• Evaluate practices of teachers in guaranteeing critical
thinking of pupils in a literature class.
LESSON 12

De ve l o pment Cr it ic al
Thi nki ng among
Li te rat ure Le a rne rs
Learning Targets
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
• Analyze situations that promote thinking skills among
literature classes;
• Differentiate the higher-order and lower-order thinking
skills; and
• Craft a brief literature to promote the use of critical
thinking among literature learners.
 THINK

Developing higher-order thinking skills is one paramount aim of the

current K to 12 Curriculum in the Philippines.

Critical thinking involves abilities like identifying a problem, looking for

assumptions, and trying solutions from inductive and deductive logic
(Kennedy, Fisher, & Ennis, 1991).

The term “higher-order thinking skills” has stemmed in Bloom’s taxonomy

of learning.
 Combine parts to make a new whole

Judge the value of information or idea

Break down information into component parts

Apply the facts, rules, concepts, and ideas

Understand what the facts mean

Recognize and recall facts

Bloom’s Taxonomy of Thinking Skills

Lower-order thinking skills allow the learners to plainly give back what the teachers provided them or what
the book gave them.

Higher-order thinking skills involve the use of the piece of the learning given to the learners in
order to take concepts. Combine the pieces of learning, evaluate something, or create something out of
the learning.

In other words, higher-order thinking is the result of the teacher giving opportunities to learners the
appropriate tools that they will need in order to meaningfully interact with the content for them to
remember the concept correctly.

One adopted teaching strategy to achieve appropriate questioning and ensuring

class participation is the “Six Thinking Hats” by Edward de Bono in 1985.
The following are some of the benefits of using the Six Thinking
Hats as a teaching strategy to develop higher-order thinking skills:

1. It is a powerful decision-checking technique while promoting collaboration among pupils.

2. It helps the learners explore the situation from each perspective at the same time.
3. It forces the learners to move outside their habitual thinking styles.
4. It allows the learners to look at things from several different perspective, thus, teaching them to
be critical thinkers.
5. It permits the pupils to get a more rounded view of the literary piece and the context upon
which the piece is related.
Here are the mini steps to implement the following learner-centered
techniques:
• Choose a familiar elementary song.
• Group the class into three big circles.
• Passing the Bouquet
• Post the critical question in front.
• Ask the pupils to sing a song. Let them pass on something (e.g, a pen, a handkerchief or a toy) while
singing.
• When you say stop, pupils holding that thing will have the chance to answer the question.
• Group the class into two big circles.
• Arrange the chairs (as in the typical Trip to Jerusalem game).
• Post the critical question in front.
• Trip to Jerusalem
• While playing a song, pupils will walk (or dance) around the chairs.
• When the music stops, pupils who are unable to sit on a vacant chair will have the chance to answer
the question.
• Create a wheel of critical thinking questions.
• Discuss each question on the wheel (e.g., what does the question mean or what answer is needed)
• Question-Prompts • Using the number generator (downloaded online), choose the pupil who will manipulate the wheel.
Wheel • When the wheel stops, the arrow that points to the question will be asked to the class or the pupil-
participant.
The critical thinking questions should be given paramount consideration other
than the technique of giving questions to the learners. Hence, the questions
can be used in several ways:

1. They can serve as your resources to help the learners delve more deeply into
specific aspects of the text.

2. They can be used as guides for the learners to arrive at an answer or decision.

3. They can be used as triggers for communication.

LESSON 13
Using Pupil-Generated
Board Displays
Learning Targets
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
• Discuss the importance of pupil-generated board displays in
enhancing literacy and learning literature;
• Synthesize the experiences of English elementary teachers on
using pupil-generated board displays; and
• Create a mini board display for an elementary English class.
 THINK

One way to interface literacy, literature, and visual learning ability is the use
of pupil-generated board displays. Some of these displays are interactive
and rely on pupil contributions.

Here are some samples of interactive pupil-generated classroom displays.

The following were modified techniques from Himmele, P.,

Himmele, W., and Potter (2014):
1. Quotable Quotes Board
Pupils post on the bulletin board the quotable quotes they have
found in the storybooks, poems or short stories they have read in a
read- aloud activity or a book talk. This is one way to gauge how
the literary piece relates to them. In this way, you target critical
thinking and oral literacy.

2. #MySuperhero Wall
Pupils post the drawing of their ideal character in the story or
the person in the poem. In this way, writing literacy is enhanced a
well as their reflective thinking. This activity likewise targets to
improve the ability of the children to relate to people and be
sensitive to the thoughts and emotions of others.

3. Butcher Paper
The teacher post a butcher paper or a graphic organizer with
little prompts selected by the literature teacher and a blank space for
students to write on. The graphic organizer act as a memory aid for
the pupils to organize their thoughts about a specific topic.
4. Collecting Words Wall
The teacher post an empty envelope on the board. It will act as a
basket of difficult words that the pupils might have encountered in the
read – aloud activity or balk talk. The pupils who have encountered
such vocabulary will be responsible for determining the meaning,
writing a sentence using the vocabulary, and writing the specific phrase
or sentence where such word was used in the text. In that way, the
pupils can try to read the book or the literary piece that others have to
read.

5. Great Opening Lines Wall

This process – product activity can establish anticipation in the
reader and aid the mood that something really fabulous is about to be
read.

6. The Class Bookworm

It acts as a freedom wall or a vandal wall regarding the literary
piece they have read. Creative and reflective thinking abilities may
be enhanced through this activity. Their thoughts may also be used as
a supplement for literary analysis.
7. The WIDU Bank
One good way to generate ideas of the class is through the “
WIDU” Bank or the “ What – I – Don’t – Understand Bank.” this
activity impedes the pupils to forget the boggling questions. Also, it
acts as an avenue for them to be heard in class without using their
oral skills, especially if the questions are quite uncomfortable for
them to verbalize.

Engaging the learners in the aforementioned pupil- generated displays can

result in literacy building and retention enhancement. Aside from making the class
a visually dominating room, the activities can also mark the establishment of
readers.
LESSON 14

Ensuring Total Pupil

Participation in Literature
Classes
Learning Targets
At the end of this, you are expected to:
• Analyze situations related to ensuring total pupil
participation in literature classes;
• Deduce teaching techniques in ensuring total pupil
participation in literature classes; and
• Develop a teaching technique that ensures the participation
of pupils in a literature class.
 THINK
Pupils in any English or literature class are varied in many ways. Sometimes, the challenge is
to ensure that each learner is fully participating in class and actively thinking. Some learners
are endowed with a high level of activeness.

Pupils who never tend to stand and speak also exist, on the other hand. This is why every
teacher in English, especially in literature, should be loaded with techniques and strategies to
subdue this reality.

The following are some of the newest strategies and techniques that you could use to subdue
daydreaming in class.

Some of the following teaching tips also provide you with ideas
on how to integrate the use of interactive technology in teaching.
 1. The teacher writes or shows a
1.
controversy or an open-ended question
related to the text.

2. Provide ample time for the pupils to

think about their answers.

3. All pupils respond individually to the

prompt or question or controversy.

4. All pupils share the responses in dyads

or triads.

5. Volunteers then share. Pairs or small

Ctto
groups call out a sentence summary
when they are called on to share.

Step-by-Step
Directions:
 Encouraging the pupils to share their thoughts is
easy, but ensuring that they have words to mumble 1. The teacher writes shows instruction, plus
2. Link-It Cards! and share is another story. the prompts. For instance,“Find out the
This activity uses prompting statements as meaning of your classmate’s answer by
scaffolds, especially to those who might encounter
the difficulty of starting their thoughts. asking him/her a question starting with
any of the following statements.

a. I did not get that part on.

b. I understand that part, but I am not
so certain.
c. How about if...
Before the prompt cards are picked, show
them all incomplete statements on the board
d. So you mean to say that...”
and give them ample time to organize their
answers. In that way “wait-time” is provided 2. The prompts are the written on the cards
for both fast and struggling learners.
3. Distribute the cards or let each pupil pick
card.

4. Allow time for conversation.

5. Process the answer in big group sharing

Step by step
Directions
 C. Finding Partner in a Music 1. The teacher prepares a piece of lively
Mingle
music-something that the pupils can related to
and enjoy
The activity is a discussion-based
technique that ensures total 2. The controversy or open-ended question
participation (Himmele, P., about the text to be read (or had been read) is
Himmele, W., & Potter, 2014). posted on the bored.
Pupils are blindfolded as they 3. Allow time for the conceptualization of
look for partners to converse answers (wait-time).
auditory learners. 4. Blindfold the pupils
A teacher uses this activity to
5. Rearrange their position and remind them
develop the divergent thinking
to keep quiet.
ability of the pupils and their
speaking literacy. 6. Play the music and let them roam around
the room.

Step by step 7. Stop the music and allow them to find their
pair.
Directions 8. Let them take off their blindfolds and allow
time to share.
 1. The debriefing question or prompt is
posted on the board.

2. Allow time for the conceptualization of

answers (what –time

3. Ring a bell or use any sound signal for

D.
them to look for a partner with whom
they have not talked to in the whole
period.
This activity is best used for debriefing or as a leader-ender.
4. Allow time for conversation and
The aim of this activity is for the pupils to expand their sharing.
network. They do it by sharing their ideas with their classmates,
whom they have not yet talked with throughout the lesson. 5. Ring a bell again or play the sound
signal.

Step by step
Directions
 E. Human Likert Scale and Savvy 1.The teacher identifies four spots in the room,
Survey
namely: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Agree,
Through this activity, pupils will and Strongly Agree.
have the chance to enhance their 2. The highly debatable question or issue is
decision-making skills and to let them
posted on the board.
make a stand on an issue. At the same
time, they will have the opportunity to 3. Allow time for the conceptualization of
discuss with their classmates whose answers (what-time).
stand is the same as their.
4. Ring a bell or use any sound signal for them
to stand at the designated post that corresponds

Step by step to their level of agreement.

5. Allow time for conversation and sharing with

Directions their groupmates.

6. Ring a bell again or play the sound signal.

One variation of this is the use of the savvy

survey.
One app you can use kahoot, which can be
an interactive way to survey.
JUST REMEMBER!!

What matters in the class is not the

entertainment, but the learning and literacy
enhancement of the pupils.