Rye High School Seniors Bring Children’s Literature to Life for Midland Students

Rye High School seniors enrolled in the Children’s Literature elective brought learning across grade levels as they partnered with teachers and students at Midland School for an authentic, hands-on teaching experience. 

The Children’s Literature course is a senior elective focused on exploring classic and contemporary children’s books across a wide range of genres and perspectives. Throughout the semester, students study the history of children’s literature, the development of literacy skills, and the importance of representation and inclusivity, examining how books can serve as both windows into other experiences and mirrors of one’s own. Seniors also reflect on the stories that shaped them in childhood and consider how those texts continue to resonate into adulthood.  

As a culminating project, students collaborated with Midland teachers to design and deliver interactive read-aloud lessons for younger students. Working in small groups, the high school seniors developed lesson plans centered on selected picture books, complete with discussion questions, hands-on activities, and digital presentations to engage elementary students. 

The seniors visited Mr. Boyum’s kindergarten class, Ms. Hughes’s second grade class, and the fourth grade classes of Ms. Fitzer and Ms. Santelia. Each group tailored its lesson to the developmental level and learning goals of the class, drawing on feedback and guidance from the cooperating teachers throughout the planning process.  

The high school students selected a range of picture books for their lessons, including Miss Nelson Is Missing!, The Invisible Boy, and Duck! Rabbit!. Using a structured planning template, students drafted lesson plans and created Slides presentations to support their read-alouds and activities.  

Preparation for the project took place over several weeks, including collaborative work sessions in the Rye High School iLab, where students refined their ideas, practiced delivery, and finalized materials. Seniors also began the process by drafting introductory emails to their cooperating teachers, sharing information about themselves, and requesting input to ensure their lessons aligned with classroom learning.  

The project offered students an opportunity to apply their coursework in a real-world setting while building meaningful connections with younger learners. Through creativity, collaboration, and thoughtful planning, Rye High School seniors demonstrated how literature can be used as a powerful tool for learning, reflection, and connection across grade levels.