Against exclusion. The American example of classroom reading – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Cover Image

Przeciw wykluczeniu. Amerykański przykład omawiania lektury – Zabić drozda Harper Lee
Against exclusion. The American example of classroom reading – To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Author(s): Agnieszka Kania
Subject(s): School education, Sociology of Education, American Literature, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Komisji Edukacji Narodowej w Krakowie
Keywords: obligatory reading; exclusion; close reading; literary education;

Summary/Abstract: In the Polish and American education systems, the approach to discussing a literary work as a school’s obligatory reading is treated differently. One of the most popular novels discussed in the US is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An institution called “Facing History and Ourselves” has prepared a comprehensive set of materials for teachers entitled Teaching Mockingbird. Study Guide. Its strengths include a multi-aspect approach to a novel with complex themes (racism, justice, morality), talking about the past, but also its testimony to the times in which it was created. The authors of the study emphasise the responsible attitude of the teacher who deals with difficult topics, as well as the involvement of students in unhurried and careful reading, so that they can see its literary and formative values, referring to the personal experiences of each reader. Such a model of reading is worth considering in Polish literary education, where the current excess of obligatory readings does not allow for similar solutions.

  • Issue Year: 14/2023
  • Issue No: 373
  • Page Range: 135-146
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Polish
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