Part III
Reading

What makes a successful information book? How does the information that young people bring to reading compare to what they get out of a particular text? These units explore the implications of what children learn when they learn to read, the role and importance of illustration in different kinds of books for young people, and the role of repetitive and predictable reading from serial books, magazines, and newspapers to comic books and reworkings of familiar texts.

Unit 5
Reading Print

Reading is an essential skill of contemporary life; our society works on the premise that the majority of citizens can read and write at a level which enables them to fulfil their civic and social duties. This unit explores some of the complexities of reading print and looks at the range of print texts available for young people.

Learning Objectives

When you have completed Unit 5, you should be able to achieve the following learning objectives.

1. Understand the cognitive and affective activities involved in the reading process.
2. Explore what texts demand of their readers and what readers bring to their texts.

Unit 6
Reading Illustrated Text

This unit examines three forms of highly illustrated text: picture books, graphic novels, and information books, and explores the complex relationship between text and illustration. As well, the unit considers the importance of different forms of highly illustrated text for readers at various stages of development.

Learning Objectives

When you have completed Unit 6, you should be able to achieve the following learning objectives.

1. Understand the complexities of how pictures and words can work together to create a variety of texts, which provide entertainment, information, or both.
2. Explore the world of picture books, graphic novels, and illustrated information books.