Using Young Adult (YA) Literature in a Classroom: How Does YA Literature Impact Writing Literacies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5275.2016.2.1.53-86Abstract
While English teachers are working to incorporate various versions of the Common Core State Standards into their curriculum, they are often emphasizing canonical fiction over alternative literature that students may connect with at a higher engagement level. Young Adult (YA) literature may help teachers meet the needs of the whole student as well as local standards. The purposes of this study were (1) to explore how students engaged with reading and writing after reading YA literature, (2) to evaluate whether the YA students’ writing samples differed from the canonical group’s, (3) to determine if students see themselves as better writers after the experience, and (4) to examine the teacher’s perception of reading YA Literature. The research was conducted in a single teacher’s 9th grade classes at an urban high school in the Southwest with a primarily Hispanic population. Two groups worked with canonical literature, and two groups worked with YA literature. All students were given a modified version of the Daly Miller Writing Apprehension Survey before and after they read either a YA short story or a classic short story. They then constructed a writing sample using the same generic prompt for all groups. Several students and the teacher were interviewed after the process. Quantitative results showed that students who read the YA pieces increased their mean score on the modified Daly Miller Survey. Their writing samples had a greater mean score than the canonical group. The qualitative results also indicated greater engagement and understanding of the YA literature, while the teacher expressed enjoyment in teaching both pieces since they were both received well by the students. Finding that students improved in a quantifiable way after using YA literature indicates that there are pedagogical reasons to incorporate YA literature in the classroom, in addition to enhancing enjoyment.
References
Alsup, J. (2013). Teaching literature in an age of text complexity. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 57(November), 181–184. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1002/JAAL.239'>https://doi.org/10.1002/JAAL.239</a>
Alvermann, D. (2007). Multiliterate youth in the time of scientific reading instruction. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 19–26). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Angelotti, M. (1984). O.K. if YA lit is so good, why can't I sell it in my school? The English Journal, 73(7), 73–75.
Applebee, A. N., & Langer, J. A. (2011). EJ extra: A snapshot of writing instruction in middle schools and high schools. English Journal, 100(6), 14–27.
Applebee, A. N., Langer, J. A., Nystrand, M., & Gamoran, A. (2003). Discussion-based approaches to developing understanding: Classroom instruction and student performance in middle and high school English. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 685–730. <a href='https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312040003685'>https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312040003685</a>
Appleman, D. (2007). Reading with adolescents. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 143–147). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Beers, K. (2007). The measure of our success. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 1–14). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Beumer Johnson, A. (2011). Multiple selves and multiple sites of influence: Perceptions of young adult literature in the classroom. Theory into practice, 50(3), 215–222. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584032'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584032</a>
Bickmore, S., & Emiraliyeva-Pitre, L. (2013). Teaching diverse young adult literature in harmony with the common core state standards: Is it still just about the characters, the plot, the setting? SIGNAL, 1–6.
Burke, J. (2007). Teaching English language arts in a "flat" world. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (p. 149). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Cazden, C., Cope, B., Fairclough, N., Gee, J., & Al., E. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies : Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(I), 60–92.
Connors, S. P. (2012). Becoming mockingjays: Encouraging student activism through the study of YA dystopia. The ALAN Review. Retrieved from <a href='http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/'>http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/</a>
Creswell, J., & Clark, V. (2010). Introducing a mixed methods study. In Designing and conducting mixed methodsrResearch (2nd ed., pp. 143–170). Thousand Oaks, London, Singapore and New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297–334. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555'>https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555</a>
Daly, J. (1978). Writing apprehension: Writing competency. The Journal of Educational Research, 72(1), 10–14. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.jstor.org/stable/27537168'>http://www.jstor.org/stable/27537168</a> <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1978.10885110'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1978.10885110</a>
Daly, J. A., & Wilson, D. A. (2016). Writing apprehension, self-esteem, and personality. Research in the Teaching of English, 17(4), 327–341. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170968'>http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170968</a>
Daly, J., & Miller, M. (1975). The Daly-Miller test interpretation. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/stonerm/daly_miller_scoring.htm'>http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/stonerm/daly_miller_scoring.htm</a>
Freedman, L., & Johnson, H. (2000). Who's protecting whom? "I hadn't meant to tell you this", a case in point in confronting self-censorship in the choice of young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 44(4), 356–369.
Gee, J. P. (2010). A situated sociocultural approach to literacy and technology.
Glenn, W., Ginsberg, R., Gaffey, E., Lund, K., & Meagher, I. (2012). From awareness to action: Young adult literature as a road to reflection and catalyst for change. The ALAN Review, 39(2). <a href='https://doi.org/10.21061/alan.v39i2.a.4'>https://doi.org/10.21061/alan.v39i2.a.4</a>
Gliem, J. A., & Gliem, R. R. (2003). Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for Likert-type scales. In 2003 Midwest Research to Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education (pp. 82–88).
Goering, C. Z., & Connors, S. P. (2014). Exemplars and epitaphs : Defending young adult literature. Talking Points, 25(2), 15–21.
Gordon, C. (2010). Meeting readers where they are: Mapping the intersection of research and practice. School Library Journal, 56(11), 32.
Graham, S. (2008). Effective writing instruction for all students. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Renaissance Learning
Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., & You, W. (2012). Instructional contexts for engagement and achievement in reading. In S. L. Christenson (Ed.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 601–634). SpringerUS. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_29'>https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_29</a>
Hayn, J. A., Kaplan, J. S., & Nolen, A. (2011). Young adult literature research in the 21st century. Theory Into Practice, 50(3), 176–181. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584026'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584026</a>
Hayn, J., Kaplan, J., & Nolen, A. (2016). Teaching young adult literature: Integrating, implementing, and re-imagining the common core. (J. Hayn, J. Kaplan, A. Nolen, & H. Olvey, Eds.). Lanham and London: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc. <a href='https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5275.2015.1.2.64-78'>https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5275.2015.1.2.64-78</a>
Hinton, K., & Rodriguez, R. J. (2014). "I was carrying the burden of my race": reading matters of race and hope in YA literature by Walter Dean Myers and Sherman Alexie. In C. Hill (Ed.), The critical merits of young adult literature (pp. 92–111). New York: Routledge.
Hunt, C. (1996). Young adult literature evades the theorists. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, 21(1), 4–11. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1353/chq.0.1129'>https://doi.org/10.1353/chq.0.1129</a>
Ivey, G., & Broaddus, K. (2001). "Just plain reading" : A survey of what makes students want to read in middle school classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 36(4), 350–377. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.36.4.2'>https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.36.4.2</a>
Keene, E. (2007). The essence of understanding. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 27–38). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Kober, N., & Retner, D. (2011). Common core state standards: Progress and challenges in school districts' implementation. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.cep-dc.org/displayDocument.cfm?DocumentID=374'>http://www.cep-dc.org/displayDocument.cfm?DocumentID=374</a>
Langer, J. A. (1986). A sociocognitive perspective on literacy. Viewpoints. Stanford.
Langer, J. A. (2013). The role of literature and literary reasoning in English language arts and English classrooms. In K. Goodman, R. Calfee, & Y. Goodman (Eds.), Whose knowledge counts in government literacy policies (pp. 161–166). New York: Routledge. <a href='https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203796849'>https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203796849</a>
Lesesne, T. (2007). Of times, teens, and books. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 61–79). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Lewis, M., & Durand, E. S. (2014). Sexuality as risk and resistance in young adult literature. In C. Hill (Ed.), The critical merits of young adult literature (1st ed., pp. 38–54). New York: Routledge.
Malo-juvera, V. (2014). Speak : The effect of literary instruction on adolescents' rape myth acceptance. Research in the Teaching of English, 48(4), 407–427.
Moley, P. F., Bandré, P. E., & George, J. E. (2011). Moving beyond readability: considering choice, motivation and learner engagement. Theory Into Practice, 50(3), 247–253. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584036'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584036</a>
Monroe, M. L. (2005). Writing with Weetzie : Using young adult literature in the composition classroom. Language Arts Journal of Michigan, 21(2), 48–54. <a href='https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.1199'>https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.1199</a>
Moore, D., Bean, T. W., Birdyshaw, D., & Rycik, J. A. (1999). Adolescent literacy: A position statement. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(1), 97–112.
Pajares, F. (2003). Self-efficacy beliefs, motivation, and achievement in writing: A review of the literature. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19(2), 139–158. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560308222'>https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560308222</a>
Philbrick, R. (1999). Last Book in the Universe. In M. Cart (Ed.), Tomorrowland: 10 Stories about the Future. Scholastic.
Shanahan, T., & Duffett, A. (2013). Common core in the schools: A first look at reading assignments. Retrieved from <a href='http://edexcellence.net/publications/common-core-in-the-schools'>http://edexcellence.net/publications/common-core-in-the-schools</a>
Stotsky, S. (2010). Literary study in grades 9, 10, and 11: A national survey. Forum.
Stotsky, S. (2014). Common core standards' devastating impact on literary study and analytical thinking. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/12/questionable-quality-of-the-common-core-english-language-arts-standards'>http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/12/questionable-quality-of-the-common-core-english-language-arts-standards</a>
Stover, L., & Bach, J. (2011). Young adult literature as a call to social activism. In J. A. Hayn & J. S. Kaplan (Eds.), Teaching young adult literature: Insights, considerations, and perspectives for the classroom teacher (1st ed., pp. 203–222). Lanham, Boulder, New York, Toronto, Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc.
Suter, W. N. (2011). Qualitative data, analysis, and design. In Introduction to educational research: A critical thinking approach (Second, pp. 342–386). SAGE Publications.
Thompson, K. H. (2014). Beyond the stacks: Why high school English teachers should be talking about books. English Journal, 103(6), 38–44.
Wolk, S. (2009). Reading for a better world: Teaching for social responsibility with young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(May), 664–673. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.52.8.2'>https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.52.8.2</a>
Alvermann, D. (2007). Multiliterate youth in the time of scientific reading instruction. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 19–26). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Angelotti, M. (1984). O.K. if YA lit is so good, why can't I sell it in my school? The English Journal, 73(7), 73–75.
Applebee, A. N., & Langer, J. A. (2011). EJ extra: A snapshot of writing instruction in middle schools and high schools. English Journal, 100(6), 14–27.
Applebee, A. N., Langer, J. A., Nystrand, M., & Gamoran, A. (2003). Discussion-based approaches to developing understanding: Classroom instruction and student performance in middle and high school English. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 685–730. <a href='https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312040003685'>https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312040003685</a>
Appleman, D. (2007). Reading with adolescents. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 143–147). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Beers, K. (2007). The measure of our success. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 1–14). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Beumer Johnson, A. (2011). Multiple selves and multiple sites of influence: Perceptions of young adult literature in the classroom. Theory into practice, 50(3), 215–222. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584032'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584032</a>
Bickmore, S., & Emiraliyeva-Pitre, L. (2013). Teaching diverse young adult literature in harmony with the common core state standards: Is it still just about the characters, the plot, the setting? SIGNAL, 1–6.
Burke, J. (2007). Teaching English language arts in a "flat" world. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (p. 149). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Cazden, C., Cope, B., Fairclough, N., Gee, J., & Al., E. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies : Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(I), 60–92.
Connors, S. P. (2012). Becoming mockingjays: Encouraging student activism through the study of YA dystopia. The ALAN Review. Retrieved from <a href='http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/'>http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/</a>
Creswell, J., & Clark, V. (2010). Introducing a mixed methods study. In Designing and conducting mixed methodsrResearch (2nd ed., pp. 143–170). Thousand Oaks, London, Singapore and New Delhi: SAGE Publications.
Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika, 16, 297–334. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555'>https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555</a>
Daly, J. (1978). Writing apprehension: Writing competency. The Journal of Educational Research, 72(1), 10–14. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.jstor.org/stable/27537168'>http://www.jstor.org/stable/27537168</a> <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1978.10885110'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.1978.10885110</a>
Daly, J. A., & Wilson, D. A. (2016). Writing apprehension, self-esteem, and personality. Research in the Teaching of English, 17(4), 327–341. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170968'>http://www.jstor.org/stable/40170968</a>
Daly, J., & Miller, M. (1975). The Daly-Miller test interpretation. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/stonerm/daly_miller_scoring.htm'>http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/stonerm/daly_miller_scoring.htm</a>
Freedman, L., & Johnson, H. (2000). Who's protecting whom? "I hadn't meant to tell you this", a case in point in confronting self-censorship in the choice of young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 44(4), 356–369.
Gee, J. P. (2010). A situated sociocultural approach to literacy and technology.
Glenn, W., Ginsberg, R., Gaffey, E., Lund, K., & Meagher, I. (2012). From awareness to action: Young adult literature as a road to reflection and catalyst for change. The ALAN Review, 39(2). <a href='https://doi.org/10.21061/alan.v39i2.a.4'>https://doi.org/10.21061/alan.v39i2.a.4</a>
Gliem, J. A., & Gliem, R. R. (2003). Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for Likert-type scales. In 2003 Midwest Research to Practice Conference in Adult, Continuing, and Community Education (pp. 82–88).
Goering, C. Z., & Connors, S. P. (2014). Exemplars and epitaphs : Defending young adult literature. Talking Points, 25(2), 15–21.
Gordon, C. (2010). Meeting readers where they are: Mapping the intersection of research and practice. School Library Journal, 56(11), 32.
Graham, S. (2008). Effective writing instruction for all students. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Renaissance Learning
Guthrie, J. T., Wigfield, A., & You, W. (2012). Instructional contexts for engagement and achievement in reading. In S. L. Christenson (Ed.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 601–634). SpringerUS. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_29'>https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_29</a>
Hayn, J. A., Kaplan, J. S., & Nolen, A. (2011). Young adult literature research in the 21st century. Theory Into Practice, 50(3), 176–181. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584026'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584026</a>
Hayn, J., Kaplan, J., & Nolen, A. (2016). Teaching young adult literature: Integrating, implementing, and re-imagining the common core. (J. Hayn, J. Kaplan, A. Nolen, & H. Olvey, Eds.). Lanham and London: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc. <a href='https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5275.2015.1.2.64-78'>https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2376-5275.2015.1.2.64-78</a>
Hinton, K., & Rodriguez, R. J. (2014). "I was carrying the burden of my race": reading matters of race and hope in YA literature by Walter Dean Myers and Sherman Alexie. In C. Hill (Ed.), The critical merits of young adult literature (pp. 92–111). New York: Routledge.
Hunt, C. (1996). Young adult literature evades the theorists. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, 21(1), 4–11. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1353/chq.0.1129'>https://doi.org/10.1353/chq.0.1129</a>
Ivey, G., & Broaddus, K. (2001). "Just plain reading" : A survey of what makes students want to read in middle school classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 36(4), 350–377. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.36.4.2'>https://doi.org/10.1598/RRQ.36.4.2</a>
Keene, E. (2007). The essence of understanding. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 27–38). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Kober, N., & Retner, D. (2011). Common core state standards: Progress and challenges in school districts' implementation. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.cep-dc.org/displayDocument.cfm?DocumentID=374'>http://www.cep-dc.org/displayDocument.cfm?DocumentID=374</a>
Langer, J. A. (1986). A sociocognitive perspective on literacy. Viewpoints. Stanford.
Langer, J. A. (2013). The role of literature and literary reasoning in English language arts and English classrooms. In K. Goodman, R. Calfee, & Y. Goodman (Eds.), Whose knowledge counts in government literacy policies (pp. 161–166). New York: Routledge. <a href='https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203796849'>https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203796849</a>
Lesesne, T. (2007). Of times, teens, and books. In K. Beers, R. Probst, & L. Rief (Eds.), Adolescent literacy turning promise into practice (pp. 61–79). Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Lewis, M., & Durand, E. S. (2014). Sexuality as risk and resistance in young adult literature. In C. Hill (Ed.), The critical merits of young adult literature (1st ed., pp. 38–54). New York: Routledge.
Malo-juvera, V. (2014). Speak : The effect of literary instruction on adolescents' rape myth acceptance. Research in the Teaching of English, 48(4), 407–427.
Moley, P. F., Bandré, P. E., & George, J. E. (2011). Moving beyond readability: considering choice, motivation and learner engagement. Theory Into Practice, 50(3), 247–253. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584036'>https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2011.584036</a>
Monroe, M. L. (2005). Writing with Weetzie : Using young adult literature in the composition classroom. Language Arts Journal of Michigan, 21(2), 48–54. <a href='https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.1199'>https://doi.org/10.9707/2168-149X.1199</a>
Moore, D., Bean, T. W., Birdyshaw, D., & Rycik, J. A. (1999). Adolescent literacy: A position statement. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 43(1), 97–112.
Pajares, F. (2003). Self-efficacy beliefs, motivation, and achievement in writing: A review of the literature. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 19(2), 139–158. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560308222'>https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560308222</a>
Philbrick, R. (1999). Last Book in the Universe. In M. Cart (Ed.), Tomorrowland: 10 Stories about the Future. Scholastic.
Shanahan, T., & Duffett, A. (2013). Common core in the schools: A first look at reading assignments. Retrieved from <a href='http://edexcellence.net/publications/common-core-in-the-schools'>http://edexcellence.net/publications/common-core-in-the-schools</a>
Stotsky, S. (2010). Literary study in grades 9, 10, and 11: A national survey. Forum.
Stotsky, S. (2014). Common core standards' devastating impact on literary study and analytical thinking. Retrieved from <a href='http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/12/questionable-quality-of-the-common-core-english-language-arts-standards'>http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/12/questionable-quality-of-the-common-core-english-language-arts-standards</a>
Stover, L., & Bach, J. (2011). Young adult literature as a call to social activism. In J. A. Hayn & J. S. Kaplan (Eds.), Teaching young adult literature: Insights, considerations, and perspectives for the classroom teacher (1st ed., pp. 203–222). Lanham, Boulder, New York, Toronto, Plymouth, UK: Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc.
Suter, W. N. (2011). Qualitative data, analysis, and design. In Introduction to educational research: A critical thinking approach (Second, pp. 342–386). SAGE Publications.
Thompson, K. H. (2014). Beyond the stacks: Why high school English teachers should be talking about books. English Journal, 103(6), 38–44.
Wolk, S. (2009). Reading for a better world: Teaching for social responsibility with young adult literature. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 52(May), 664–673. <a href='https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.52.8.2'>https://doi.org/10.1598/JAAL.52.8.2</a>
