AUTHOR
TEXT INTRODUCTION
Lynda Mullaly Hunt is from West Hartford, Connecticut. She attended the University of Connecticut where she received her degree in education. As a teacher, she enjoyed creating innovative lessons that would make her to students excited about writing. Hunt ended her teaching career when she gave birth to her daughter and later her son. She became a stay at home mom, however, her passion for reading and writing never ended. Hunt joined a writers group at her local bookstore. She did not start writing books right away. She first began writing song lyrics. Her first book One for the Murphys received nineteen awards and honors. A few of those rewards and honors are the Scholastic Book Clubs Editor’s Choice and the Nerdy Book Award Winner in 2012. Hunt is a contemporary author who writes fiction novels that feature young girls as lead characters. Her book Fish in a Tree is significant to young adult literature because the main character cannot read. Many young adolescents struggle with reading, and it is far more common than people think. It is important to know that you are not stupid. Not being able to read can be remedied with starting simple. Hunt is unique because she was a teacher and understands what children want to read. Therefore, she writes entertaining books will leave her young readers fascinated.
Fish in a Tree is about a young girl named Ally who cannot read, however, none of her teachers are aware that she is not able to read. Therefore, when her teachers call on her, she becomes defensive or interruptive to get in trouble and sent to the office. Ally gets sent to several schools, but the problem remains. She is clever and comes up with ways to divert her teacher's attention away from her. Nonetheless, one teacher sees that there is potential underneath Ally's disruptiveness. With the help of her teacher Mr. Daniel, Ally discovers the root of her 'inability' to read. Ally's confidence grows, and she forms friendships with Albert and Keisha who are also going through hardships. This beautifully written novel will take you through real problems young adults have to go through. Fish in a Tree is a fiction that targets sixth grade through eighth grade. The novel is a simple read with complex, controversial issues. The issues include learning disabilities, abuse, and bullying. All these issues should be addressed with young adults who experience these challenges. Learning disabilities can alter how fast a student learns, but they are not dumb. Working with a student who has a learning disability takes patience and creativity.
TEACHING CHALLENGE #1
I am minoring in psychology, so, I am always concerned about the emotional and physical well-being of a child. Fish in a Tree is an extraordinary book its main character Ally deals with a learning disability. The Learning Disabilities Association of America defines learning disabilities as a disorder in one or more basic psychological processes that may manifest itself as an imperfect ability in certain areas of learning, such as reading, written expression, or mathematics. Ally acts out in an attempt to avoid reading and writing. Yikes, another touchy subject that will hit home for a few students. According to Understood.org, roughly twenty percent of children suffer from a learning disability. As the criteria for learning disabilities broaden, more people are identifying as having some sort of learning disability. So, reading a book about a child with a learning disability to kids who may have one is difficult. Nonetheless, one must first explain to any child with a learning disability that they are not stupid. There are several strategies that focus on teaching students with a disability. I have provided several helpful links to help guide you better understand learning disabilities. Everyone in your classroom may not read at the same pace, but there are ways to assist a child with a learning disability to read at their highest potential.
Learning Disability Strategy: The following source provides information for teachers to assist a child who has a learning disability. The article's author Regina G. Richards provides a brief description of children with learning disabilities. She then proceeds to offer strategies that will help struggling students. One approach that I find interesting is chunking. Chucking is a term that means "bundles of information." Chucking breaks down information into smaller bits, so that a child does not feel overwhelmed with information. For individuals who learn better visually, the site also provides charts and graphs that break down the written information. This site presents a ton of information to help students become better readers despite their disability. https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning, http://www.ldonline.org/article/5598/
GAMES! GAMES! AND MORE GAMES!:
There are so many websites and activities for students who struggle to learn like the average kid. Recently the world has finally recognized the students who have been dismissed for years for being "dumb." The link provided below presents options for students who have a disability. Storyline Online is an excellent source for students who have Dyslexia. I believe this source, in particular, would have catered to the main character Ally in the book Fish in a Tree. Into the Book is also another great source for literature lovers who have a difficult time reading. https://www.special-education-degree.net/top-12-websites-children-learning-disabilities/
TEACHING CHALLENGE #2:
A three-hundred-page book with a large-sized font is an easy read for me now that I am a twenty-year-old college student. Although when I was in middle school, I hated when my teacher presented a book that looked too thick. I loved reading when I was in school, but sometimes teachers chose big, boring books. Fish in a Tree is not boring whatsoever, but it is a compact book. The challenge is how to make students want to read a book that looks intimidating. There are so many ways to get students excited about reading. First, we have to persuade students to get into a novel. Just recently my college professor held a book bistro for a novel my class was reading. She brought in snacks and decorated the room to look like a fancy restaurant. Her creativity inspired us to want to read more books and share our thoughts on them. Being creativity like my college professor can open the minds of young adolescents. Having a book fair, or a readathon can persuade students to want to read and keep reading. I provided a link below to share ideas to get students thrilled about literature. Hopefully, these activities can turn your students into book nerds.
JUST MY IMAGINATION:
This site provides amazing ways to get students thrilled about reading a new book. The levels of creativity are stupendous. Welcoming an author to speak to your class is an awesome way to present a new book. My favorite idea in this article is making connections between a book and other issues. Young students love pop culture and selecting a book that is contemporary and relatable can open them up to want to read. Students are more inclined to read a book that relates to themselves and the issues surrounding young adults. The creative ideas on this site are endless. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-love-reading-students-elena-aguilar
Focus:
Another reason students find it intimidating to read a large book is a poor focus ability. Even as a college student I have assigned reading. I sometimes begin to daydream or drift off to complete another task. In this case, it is important to inform students that there are options for them to explore when a book seems difficult. They can set their own flexible, reasonable pace. They can also be creative when summarizing a novel. They can draw pictures, create a poem or a rap that reminds them of each chapter. The ideas to get kids to read assigned books are endless. Below is a PDF that provides ways to gets students to focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Faculty-Focus_Getting_students_to_read1.pdf