When we give our children or students the time to reflect on what they’ve read, we are giving them the power to truly think beyond what is in the text. Stories that allow time for reflection, gives children and students the opportunity to use their critical thinking skills and find ways that the text might actually apply to their own lives. Valuable lessons can be learned and real learning can take place when children have the opportunity for reflection!
Here are some of the ways my new children’s book will help young readers reflect on a very valuable message of God’s grace!
Promotes Deeper Learning & Critical Thinking Skills
When students have the time to think at a more “in-depth” level about whatever they are reading, they are able to ask themselves questions like “how”, “why”, or “when”? This gets them thinking about the story in new, innovative ways that perhaps at first they might not have seen it this way. Being able to take any story or text and analyze it further with reflection questions, gives children the chance to also enhance their critical thinking skills and bring new ideas to the message or topic of the story.
Making Text-to-Self Connections
Ok so for all my teacher friends, I’m sure you can all appreciate this one and understand the value of our students being able to make connections with any text they read. Engagement and deeper learning comes from our students being able to make connections. Text-to-self connections specifically apply to kids being able to connect the events from a story or the message in a story to experiences in their own lives. The theme and message in this story, “The Day Grace Saved Me”, is about not letting our fears or worries or even mistakes control who we are. We can find joy and peace in knowing that God’s grace will save us from all those negative thoughts and fears we may experience. I do believe that for children specifically, being able to connect this idea within their own lives, is crucial to understanding this concept of God’s grace.
Making Text-to-Text Connections
Ok now for this particular story, when I talk about text-to-text connections, I’m referring more specifically to scripture and the Bible. Throughout scripture, God talks to us often about grace, forgiveness, and kindness. Now I’ll be honest… as an adult, I still have a hard time really understanding His word and knowing how to apply it to my own life. Imagine children! Taking what it says in scripture readings and bringing it down to a level where children of all ages can read it, understand it, and apply it to their own lives, is something to be valued! I want children to see the value in His teaching and in His words and for them to be able to apply these words to their lives in moments of fear, anxiety, or worry. After all, God’s grace is a beautiful thing that truly saves us if we only allow ourselves to accept it!
My new book is available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! Or click on the picture above to purchase my book directly from here.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+day+grace+saved+me&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130433327?ean=9781642993035
