After taking notes on elements of biographies and what they can do for children and how they can be useful in the classroom setting, I see just how critical it is to teach biographies. In this blog post, we will explore more deeply what advantages a lesson or unit or books on biographies can entail for children in schools and why it is essential we teachers teach them.
Although biographies would probably not be the typical genre choice for a student in fourth grade to want to read, I remember on vacation in fourth grade in Wildwood, New Jersey, I brought a book to read with me on my trip with my family. It was a biography about Miley Cyrus (who I was obsessed with at the time) as I loved her show “Hannah Montana” and all her songs. I also read her autobiography and was fascinated with celebrity lives (as I used to want to be a singer and an actress myself just like my role models back then)! As I was saying though, biographies were definitely a genre I gravitated towards(and actually, I still do)! I think you can learn a lot by looking at other people’s lives including valuable life lessons and multiple different perspectives on a situation (including your own).
Biographies not only help children look at situations or things from different perspectives and points of view, but they help students in their pursuit of their dreams. In other words, many biographies are about famous people who have come from almost nothing and worked their way up to fame or fortune or both. In this way, then, children in these situations can see how other people built a life they love and gained success or happiness and many times, in this, these children learn paths in which they can do it for themselves. Also, despite hardships or things that went “wrong,” these people persevered and ended up with some form of success. So, students can derive meaning from biographies like to preserve and not give up just because things are not ideal or perfect. Yes we are all different, and our stories are all slightly or very different, but we can still learn from others. After all, we all belong to the same planet/world and things are not perfect for anyone!
It is especially beneficial if young children in school read biographies about people from other cultures as they can learn a lot. Not only can they learn about the other person’s culture (clearly), but also about how their own culture is unique and how different cultures operate in different ways. Plus, there are other advantages to be had such as being able to relate to others, notice the beauty in other things that are different from your own, and global connections and cultural diversity (as the final article stated).
Another reason why biographies are important for students to engage with is because they can offer or ignite that spark children need to learn to love reading. Some may find reading biographies boring, but many look at the trials and tribulations people face in life captivating and interesting (like I do). Since life is never perfect and things do not go as planned, too, readers can rest assured that the biographies they read WILL have twists, turns, and hooks. Plus, any genre that excites and grabs the attention of students is a win in my view because shouldn’t we teachers all want our students to appreciate and love reading? Well, biographies can be one way to do that!
Another reason why biographies are a crucial part of a school’s literacy curriculum is because they, as mentioned, help young readers learn critical life lessons. They can help students avoid “learning the hard way” and if we can learn something (or how not to look at something or do something) why not? After all, it will only save the reader/listener time, money, effort, energy, etc.! Biographies are able to teach readers these lessons by showing them how these things/situations panned or worked out for others. Plus, for example, if Miley Cyrus had listened to her bullies in school and refused to chase her dreams or passions or stopped doing the things (even just as hobbies) that she loved altogether, she wouldn’t be as happy as she is today. Going further, she wouldn’t have inspired thousands and thousands of other boys and girls and, money-wise, she wouldn’t have nearly as much as she does now! (This aspect (money) is especially important for students who are driven or motivated largely by money and wealth). So, then, in this way, readers can learn lessons or skills important for life without being lectured at. By the way, too, we know that students tend to zone out with lectures, but when reading, students can be much more engaged and will be thinking as they read and integrating the information into their memories and minds for the long run.
As you can see, then, teaching biographies is important if we want our students to feel more comfortable with this genre. We know that biographies an teach us a whole lot, so why not teach them? Reading biographies is a truly wonderful activity to engage in to learn about this world. Biographies are fantastic in helping students gain multiple perspectives and learn life lessons too.
Not teaching biographies, in my opinion, is like shielding students from a boatload of information, lessons, and paths of some champions of success.
Emma's Education 307 Class 