SPED 450 (Section EC), Fall 2013
Assignment #1
Due Oct. 29, 2013
Instructions for Completing Assignment:
1. Identify a children’s book (appropriate for children between the ages of birth-8 years) that includes a child with a disability in the story. You may choose one from the list posted on the course Moodle site or find one on your own.
2. Briefly describe the story (including title and author).
3. Evaluate the children’s book you have chosen using each of the 9 criteria provided in the Nasatir & Horn (2003) article. (See Figure 1 in the article.) Make sure that you’ve addressed each of these criteria:
1. Illustrations
2. Story Line
3. Lifestyles
4. Relationships Between People
5. Effects on Child’s Self-Image
6. Author’s or Illustrator’s Background
7. Author’s Perspective
8. Loaded Words
9. Copyright Date & Target Age
4. Briefly explain why you chose your particular children’s book and how it would be an appropriate/inappropriate book to use to depict this aspect of diversity (disability) in an early childhood setting.
5. Read the book to a young child (someone in your practicum, classroom, or a sibling, cousin, friend’s child, etc. Child must be at least 3 years old). Describe the child’s reactions to the story.
6. Your paper should be no more than approximately 6 pages long (double-spaced, 1 inch margins) and should reflect your knowledge of the Nasatir & Horn (2003) reading. Remember to use people first language.
Grading:
Description of book / 4 pointsEvaluation of the story using each of the 9 criteria; the 9 criteria are explicitly addressed / 14 points
Explanation of why it was chosen & how it would be appropriate or inappropriate for early childhood setting / 4 points
Description of the child’s reaction to the story / 4 points
Organization & writing mechanics
(e.g., punctuation, grammar, spelling, people first language, etc.) / 4 points
Total / 30 points