Adult Education Plan:
Good Night, Good Knight

Good Knight Book Quest

Students Participating/Size of Group:

Individuals in small or large groups.

Lesson Goal:

Learners participate in the group creation of a selection standard for choosing books that young children will enjoy.

Learning Objectives/Skills:

The learners will be able to:

determine the suitability of a picture book for their families based on selection standards
analyze information and reflect on its underlying meaning during the book review process
foster the informal education of children through the selection of appropriate books

Environmental Adaptations, Time & Materials Needed:

The following activities can be adapted to different situations. This would be an ideal lesson to do in a local library where learners have access to a number of picture books and can check out books following the session. The activities will take approximately 30 - 40 minutes depending on the students. The following materials will be needed:

Chart paper or whiteboard with appropriate markers for the instructor to facilitate the discussion
Markers, pencils, or pens-one per learner
Good Knight Book Quest worksheet for listing the final book selection criteria-one per learner
Book: Good Night, Good Knight
Copies of the Getting Started guide and Baker's Dozen book selection criteria to use as a resource during discussions and small group work-one per learner
Children's picture books, at least one per learner. See Booklists for suggestions.
Optional: resources that support book selection. See Resources list for suggestions.

Procedure/Description of Activity:

1. Introduction: Read aloud the book Good Night, Good Knight. When finished, ask the learners if they think that this book is good to read aloud to young children and why. List their responses on the chart paper or whiteboard. Talk about characteristics that Good Night, Good Knight has that make it interesting to listen to for young children, e.g., fun words, simple story, familiar daily routine, or cute pictures. Point out connections with these concepts to any examples from the brainstorming responses on the learners' list.

2. Pass out copies of the page "Choosing Books Your Child Will Like" from the Getting Started guide. Share with the learners the general principles of choosing books that children will like from the Getting Started guide. If appropriate to your learners, use the more detailed Baker's Dozen book selection criteria for choosing books from the Baker's Dozen.

3. Ask the learners to compare the Good Night, Good Knight book to the Getting Started guide and the Baker's Dozen selection criteria. (If using the Baker's Dozen selection criteria, focus only on the second and third points as the first point relates to recently published books for the Baker's Dozen list). List learner responses on the chart paper or whiteboard such as "lots of good pictures to look at or talk about" from the Getting Started guide or "print that is easy to read" from the Baker's Dozen selection criteria. Tie into the discussion any elements from the step one brainstorming list that are examples of qualities to look for in good books for young children.

4. Create a class criteria or standards list for selecting picture books on the chart paper or whiteboard. Stimulate reflection by asking questions such as, "What is important to your family?" "Does your family have any special interests?" "What kind of art work and colors appeal to members of your family?" "How wiggly do your children get at story time?" "How large should the print be?" Consider the issues on text, print, illustrations, read-aloud qualities, and appeal to family interests. Guide the process to keep the list simple and provide clear examples. Instructors can incorporate current language arts goals in the formation of the criteria list such as grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary.

5. Provide each learner with a picture book to review based on the class selection criteria. Divide the class into small groups of twos or threes. Ask each learner to read the book and then compare it to the class selection standards. Have learners share their thoughts on the book with their small group partners. As you monitor the small groups, generate discussion by asking questions like "Would this book be a good choice for children based on the class selection criteria? Why or why not." "Would this be a good book for your family? Why or why not."

6. In a large group discussion, ask the learners to share their opinions of the book they reviewed. Ask learners if there are any changes that they would make to the class standards based on the review exercise. Probe by asking questions like "Are there any changes to the class selection criteria that you would like to make for your individual use?" "If yes, what would the change be and why would you make those changes?" "Would you change or add criteria based on family interests?"

7. Pass out copies of the Good Knight Book Quest worksheet and pencils. Tell the learners that they can write down their own copies of the class selection criteria to use when they choose books for their children to read. Prompt learners to individualize the standards list for their families based on the earlier discussion as well as the special interests of their families.

8. Wrap-up: Congratulate learners on their work. Ask learners to share what they think worked well with the selection standards activity. Encourage learners to go to their local libraries and use their selection criteria to find books to check out.

9. Optional Extension Activity: Review different resources that promote the selection of good reading material for children such as websites, booklists, and book reviews; see Resources for suggestions. Other extension activities could include: a field trip to the local library to select books, having a librarian visit to discuss book selection, or a discussion on the addition of books to the family literacy program's collection.

Informal Assessment

Objective	Participant's Names	Comments

determines the suitability of a picture book for their family reading based on selection standards or criteria
analyzes information and reflects on its underlying meaning during the book selection process
fosters the informal education of children through the selection of appropriate books

Reflect on the Activity:

1. What worked well?

2. What didn't work?

3. What might have made the activity more successful?

4. Did you notice any potential for follow-up activities based on what the students said or did?

Transfer Home Ideas:

Compare environmental print materials found in the home to the selection criteria. Think about how these materials can support children's early learning. Extend the idea by making a homemade book from materials found around the home.

Watch a children's television program, video or DVD with your child. Create a standards selection list for good visual media for your family. What elements would you include and why? Compare your book selection list to your media selection list; what is the same and what is different.

Literacy Area(s)* Addressed:

Check all that apply

X	The Power and Pleasure of Literacy	X	The Literate Environment		Language Development
	Phonological Awareness		Phonemic Awareness	X	Types of Text
	Letters and Words		Vocabulary		Knowledge of Print
	Building Knowledge & Comprehension		Reading Comprehension	X	Motivation
	Fluency		Multiple Literacy