When teachers-in-training leave Dr. Jon Roux’s Children’s Literature course, they’re “book smart” in all the best ways.

They’ve become familiar with the most important authors and books for children in grades PK-6. They understand what makes a high-quality book, what books they want in their classroom libraries someday, and what books are great for reading aloud. They’ve explored and critiqued all of the genres and text structures. They understand how reading improves comprehension and builds vocabulary. They’ve developed the habit of connecting literature to other school subjects and to the daily lives of their students. They’ve learned to read books as mirrors and windows: mirrors that help them reflect on themselves and windows that help them see into the lives and hearts of others.

All MLC early childhood and elementary education majors take “Kiddie Lit.” We asked two of them to tell us about it.

Isaiah Loersch

Isaiah Loersch
(St. Paul-Onalaska WI)
2024-25 Emergency Teacher at Immanuel-Hutchinson MN

What he loved: Kiddie Lit was an all-time favorite class for me. Every class period, Dr. Roux started by giving us 10 minutes of personal reading time, which was a welcome mental break before diving into actual class. Allowing us that time also helped reinforce the importance of providing students with silent, sustained reading time during the school day. Also, it’s pretty incredible how knowledgeable Dr. Roux is on the subject. If you’ve read a book, he probably has too, and he’d love to talk to you about it!

What he learned: Dr. Roux uses this class to expose students to a variety of children’s literature. We didn’t just read Knuffle Bunny! One of my biggest takeaways is how you can utilize children’s literature in a classroom to teach. I used several picture books at the beginning of the school year in Hutchinson to facilitate discussions about things in my classroom. Talking out of turn, being kind to others, and putting forth our best effort were all conversations that began with reading a picture book.

His favorite project: The final project for the class was a readers’ theater performance. We worked with our group to retell a classic fairytale while adding our own twist. We started with many versions of the fairytale, then made a script, assigning each person a character. Our twist was that our fairytale—Cinderella—took place at MLC. Some groups added music, sound effects, and costumes to their performances. In my own classroom in Hutchinson last fall, I did a Thanksgiving readers’ theater, which my students loved. They ask me to do another one at least once a week!

How he uses Kiddie Lit every day in his classroom right now: I use the knowledge I learned from Kiddie Lit in my grade 2-4 classroom every day. I read aloud a chapter from our book during snack right before recess (pictured). We’re on book #4 already! Seeing how invested students get while listening to the books we read together is incredible. Several have started reading a series because we read the first book together in class. Kiddie Lit was also beneficial as I planned for my first school year as an emergency teacher. I emailed Dr. Roux for advice in early August, and he helped me tremendously. My third and fourth graders read novels as part of language arts class. The guidelines I learned in Kiddie Lit helped me select books that will teach my students literary concepts while also being enjoyable to read. A huge part of the class that I try to instill in my students is a love of reading. Reading is a lifelong skill and shouldn’t feel like a chore!