Opening Texts: Using Writing to Teach Literature
By: Kathleen Dudden Andrasick
(Reviewed by Kelly Syriotis – April 11, 2007)
Opening Texts: Using Writing to Teach Literature by Kathleen Dudden Andrasick is a
bible to all English teachers out there. Not only is this book jam-packed with great ideas, it is
revolutionary in its pedagogies and philosophies of education. Activities and strategies for every
English teacher are found in this book. Not only are these strategies appropriate for secondary
students, they are the basics of what should be found in any effective elementary classroom. The
book Dudden Andrasick created is a must-read for every person who is even thinking about
teaching literature to children. Beginning teachers will be able to embark on their teaching
voyage backed with invaluable ideas. Experienced teachers will wake up! They will see a new
side of teaching, where the kids will actually enjoy what they are doing in their English classes
every day. Teachers will see the importance of inquiry-based learning and the effectiveness of
encouraging extensive communication in the classroom. This book does not have all the answers:
What about schools with 45 kids in an English class? What about schools that cannot afford great
literature? What about kids who do not complete their assigned reading? However, it truly does
offer up some great ideas and fresh views on how to teach children.
Most teachers seem to get into the profession of teaching because of their love of
children, or, more specifically, English teachers may be inclined to teach based on their own love
of literature. However, very few minds out there think that the learning of language goes way
beyond spelling tests and worksheets. As Dudden Andrasick quotes James Moffett in her book,
“How differently would you teach if your students did not have to come to class?”(pg.183) In
order for students to succeed, they first need to be interested in what they are doing in class.
There needs to be a buy-in factor. If teachers are telling kids what they should know and that
there is one predetermined theme or idea in a work of literature, they are holding kids back. As
Dudden Andrasick shares, “…if we want students to succeed in their encounters with literary
texts, we need to shift our (and their) attention from the content of particular works to the
processes of reading and responding to them in general.”(pg.40) Students should be encouraged
to inquire into what they are reading about, and with their new information, they should be
allowed and encouraged, to talk, communicate, and discuss with other students!
For new teachers who are entering the world of teaching every day, Dudden Andrasick
offers a refreshing perspective. We teachers need to realize that it is okay if we do not control
every aspect of the classroom. Teachers do not need to talk at students throughout every class
meeting. Dudden Andrasick lets teachers relax a little and allow students to take the lead. The
author is very clear in that teachers are, of course, essential in the classroom to guide students in
their learning. However, it is necessary to let go of the reigns and allow youngsters to think on
their own. The misconception is that students are not knowledgeable enough to come up with
their own theories and ideas. The adult world seems to think that kids need us adults so
desperately. The truth is that they do not. They can think on their own. They do have their own
past experiences that can help them develop new ideas and new meanings. If we adults offer
them the tools, the kids will sail.
As many teachers tend to stick to the same pedagogies over and over throughout their
teaching careers, students often get the short end of the stick. They are offered a sub-par
education, when they deserve the best. As Dudden Andrasick states, “Students need to practice
to develop into capable, functioning adults in a verbally complex society.”(pg.7) She also states
that students need “practice in generating, testing and presenting critical observations to a real
audience.” (pg.7) The author writes about how students need to be able to have meaningful
discussions, not cheap “talks” where the teacher is just trying to figure out if the kids read the
text. Kids need to be able to communicate in the real world. They need to become global
thinkers. Sure, it’s fine to be able to chat with their friends, and carry on using slang. But,
students need to be exposed to and taught literary speech. If we want kids to think like writers
and express their thoughts in a mature, creative way, we need to allow them to experience good
literature while participating in engaging, meaningful activities.
Dudden Andrasick offers many different strategies to allow students to understand their
reading through writing. One of my favorite strategies that she discusses is a dialogue journal.
In dialogue journals, in the left column, students write about what they are noticing in a text
(they write comments, observations, lists, questions, quotations…) and when they are finished,
they reflect on their original “noticings” in the right hand column in a variety of ways, through
questions, sentences or summaries. The author says that “…they should simply include passages
that resonate, even if they are uncertain why they do so.” (pg.47) The idea is that the students are
actually analyzing and thinking about the text. After writing, the author advises that it is
productive to have students share what they have written and thought about. As she says,
“Questions raised by classmates lead to discussions that make it impossible to believe texts have
single meanings.” (pg.55) She says, “We want students to distance themselves sufficiently from
the text to recognize its significances.”
Another strategy of understanding a text by writing, is by creating a reading response.
The student writes about what they have been reading and how they think and feel about that
reading. In a reading response, the student is interpreting and evaluating the text in a personal
way. A different strategy is the use of imitation. After teaching several years, this seems to be a
very simple, effective idea that I do not think I have ever used – until now! Students read a
poem or short story, and basically write their own, original piece based on the style and/or theme
of what they just read. As the author writes, “We need to take advantage of imitation’s potential
for integrating the processes of critical inquiry-reading, talking and writing. In combining these
three processes, imitation activities force students to replicate three stages typical of critical
inquiry: engagement with a text, analytical detachment from the text and the generation of
critical discourse about a text.” (pg.107)
Although Dudden Andrasick will admit that, when creating this book, she was teaching a
small group of students who were very responsible when it came to producing homework, these
techniques can work with any group of students, even if it’s a little bit more challenging.
However, it does help if kids actually read their assigned text at home. I have had to change my
ways a bit, when I began to realize that, no matter how idealistic I was, the truth is that many
kids do not complete home assignments. So, when the author mentioned that that tough work
begins when the students had completed their books, I had to flinch. As a teacher myself, I now
have my students read during class time, varying between independent, whole group and small
group reading. Instead of having students read silently, waiting for the real work to begin once
they are all finished, I find that a lot of these strategies can be used as students read. This allows
for many opportunities when the kids can analyze the literature as they go, as opposed to solely
when everyone is finished.
The author also mentioned that she feels that the work should not be picked apart, chapter
by chapter. I do agree that the best analysis and discussion comes once everyone has completed
their book; however, I do feel that the book can be discussed in chunks, as the book is being
read. Many meaningful learning moments come as students communicate with other students
and realize how differently another student may be reading the same text. Hearing and reading
others’ perspectives on the same book, as a student reads, can influence a student’s thoughts and
ideas. Learning from others can only help a student expand their own vision and realize there are
many ways of seeing characters, settings, themes and any other aspects of a book.
Kathleen Dudden Andrasick’s book, Opening Texts: Using Writing to Teach Literature
is a gem in the world of professional literature for educators. New teachers, as well as
experienced teachers, will greatly benefit from reading this book. It shares a refreshing look at
education, and offers many interesting strategies to get our kids to appreciate great literature
through their own personal written reflections. Let’s hope that this book will get into the hands
of teachers who are still preaching to their students each day, causing students’ brains to turn to
mush. We can all learn from this great book!