Peter Conlon

4 / 19 / 2016
ENGL 414
Dr. Burke
Comprehensive Plan
Governing principles- I believe that childrens literature plays a vital role in the
educational progress. It should not necessarily take center stage, but it should be at the forefront
of a lot that a teacher does and prepares for. I was personally raised on literature and that is why I
think it should take a vital role in that it creates an opportunity to create a better vocabulary for
the children involved and to demonstrate their reading and writing skills via the application of
what they have learned from reading. I believe very strongly in the classical ideals of learning
via discourses in literature even at this stage of childhood development and the intellectual level
the kids are currently. Without literature, there can be no intellectual discourse, and without
intellectual discourse, the role of education will falter in the modern day world.
Class activities- I plan on having a free literature period perhaps once every week or at some
point where the children themselves can free read or work on a book that I have assigned.
Perhaps an hour where the children can read anything that they wish from my own class library. I
will have a well collected library that has a wide range of interests and will take them to the
school library if I can. There I will instill in them the idea that reading is fun, perhaps by
participating in the schools AR reader program or its equivalent. There the children can compete
for points in a wide variety of literature activities, with the winner getting small prizes or their
names on an AR reader wall. Id like to cover a book every once in a while, perhaps once a
semester that we read through as a class and discuss. I do not expect the children to launch into
literary analysis, but the basics of character and plot can be made readily available to them so
that they enter the other stages of schooling with knowledge that will help them in English
classes. I will do this because I once again believe that literature has a very important place in the
Classroom.
Class Room setup- I will have a reading corner style nook, with comfy chairs and many
bookshelves around them, pending classroom size. Children can ask to use the library for when
the free literature hour is and I will have a wide variety of books with a variety of genres.
Anytime there is a free period they can come into my nook and read the books that are present
and I will actively encourage them to do so. I will have as many books as I can procure for the
classroom and hopefully the school will allow me to have many. It will be a spot that children
will equate with comfort and the stimulation that comes from reading fun books.
Teachers / Parents relations- I will give parents the opportunity to talk to me about any concerns
they may have about the literature in my class room. I will send children home with cheap
excerpts printed off and ask them to read them if they get the desire. I will encourage them to
encourage their children to read at home and talk about the benefits of reading and a lifelong
love of learning. I will try to impart my great love of education and literature onto the parents.
Integration into other subjects- I will most certainly try to integrate literature into other subjects.
We can read excerpts from historians of the time or excerpts from plays or poems that were
performed. If we are in a math section we could read about fictional childrens books about

triangles or show them a picture book regarding algebra or whatever subject they are learning
about. A word game could be played with mathematical concepts in which you have to guess the
kind of mathematical school of thought it was based on the spelling in a hang-man style game.
Resources- there are a wide variety of educational resources and tools that are available to the
everyday teacher. From lesson plans to book sales, there exist many online resources that one can
use to present childrens literature in an enjoyable and intellectual acceptable way for the
childrens grade level.