Analysis of Resource in Relation to Chapter 2

The resource I looked into was a book titled "Quick Tech Magic : Music-Based Literacy Activities" by Kathleen Coleman. Basically, it contains songs and musical scores and related activities geared toward promoting literacy for children. Applying Anders's and Guzzetti's four dimensions of literacy, I found that this book can be beneficial for children in promoting all four dimensions. First, the musical scores serve as texts. Second, although promoting critical and reflective thought can be tricky especially in lower grades, it is not impossible. I thought that the best way to train children in critical thinking would be to ask simple questions related to the lyrics (i.e. asking what lesson can be learned from the lyrics if it teaches a lesson, etc.). I think encouraging students to engage in these types of simple reflections is sufficient, since they are too young to have the capacity for more deep, sophisticated reflections. Third, this book obviously promotes multiliteracy: listening, speaking, and reading. Again, writing can be taught by asking students to write journals about the songs they learn. Fourth, many songs are collaborative and interactive because they send a message. However, again because the students are too young, it is up to the teacher's ability to help them see the writer's message.