California Association for the Gifted 58th Annual Conference

Picture books have always been an integral component of early childhood classrooms.  In an era of 21st Century literacy and critical discourse, picture books function as the medium for building experiences, academic language, questioning techniques, and content exploration.  This session will demonstrate how high-leverage picture books can be used as the entrance (motivation or curiosity catalyst) AND the extension (synthesis and transfer) from core learning experiences. Participants will experience a lesson simulation that presents a curriculum model for how picture books bridge the discipline standards and meet the needs, interests, and abilities of emerging and identified gifted learners of any age or grade level. As a consequence of attending this session, participants will learn specific strategies for how high-level picture books can be used to fuel curiosity and questioning in young learners and be used as a means of non-traditional identification.