Turning Pages and Heads: High School Students Publish Children’s Books

Learn4Life integrates English and graphic design classes to create a new children’s literacy course

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A sheep gets lost in the woods after chasing a butterfly…a kitty cat is abandoned and must find a new home, and a little girl with selfish tendencies learns there are many children who don’t have any toys. These are the plots of just a few of the beautifully illustrated children’s books that came to life in Learn4Life high school’s children’s literature class.

The idea for such a class was born when teachers at Learn4Life high schools brainstormed ways to engage teens by pairing core classes with fun electives and CTE (career technical education) pathways. Now teens are writing and designing their own books and getting them published on sites like Amazon.

“Our graphic design and multimedia arts classes are always popular, and students earn credentials to help them find a job in the industry,” explained Leticia Sanchez, CTE graphics/multimedia teacher at Learn4Life. “Now we pair those electives with an English writing class and have the students create books that they get to see published in print and digital. They get such a kick out of that.”

Johnny G. has flourished in Learn4Life’s flexible personalized learning model and found a passion in the graphic design CTE pathway. His published book is now available on Amazon, and after graduating he landed a job as a graphic designer, beating out 24 other candidates.

Sanchez says kids today text so much that they don’t know how to write longer-form content. So, the class starts with readings, utilizing books like the first Harry Potter which is rich with illustrations. They review other children’s books, read graphic novels and create their own comic strips.

“They learn how to write a synopsis, and develop a plot, characters and stories behind the stories,” she explained. “We want to have some moral or lesson involved in the children’s books.”

The students take turns acting as editors for their classmates, learning how to improve their own writing and that of others.

Because of the flexibility for students and teachers at Learn4Life, Sanchez has smaller classes so she can focus more on each individual, sit with them and encourage their creativity.

“I have the freedom to create programs like this and continually improve them with student feedback.”

For more information about Learn4Life, visit www.learn4life.org.

About Learn4Life

Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public high schools that provide students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 64,000 students through a year-round program, we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org.