Children’s Literature in Teacher Education

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities was one of the first institutions in the nation to recognize the importance of children’s literature in teacher education. Courses incorporating children’s books and pedagogy were first developed by Dr. Dora V. Smith (professor at the College of Education between 1917 and 1958). The children’s literature focus at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction grew into wider programming under the leadership of

• Dr. Naomi C. Chase (professor between 1950 and 1976)

• Dr. Norine Odland (professor between 1957 and 1989)

• Dianne Monson (professor between 1967 and 1982)

• Dr. Lee Galda (professor between 1998 and 2013)

• Dr. Marek Oziewicz (professor since 2013). 

In 2012 Dr. Galda became the first Henry Professor of Children’s and Young Literature. The professorship, held by Dr. Oziewicz since 2013, has enabled further growth of curricular and other programming centered on children’s literature in education.  

Book Week and Chase Lecture Archives

An archive of the Book Week and Chase Lectures is owned and maintained by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

Emerging from teaching about children’s literature in education are two annual events celebrating children’s literature authors, illustrators, and readers. Both are free, open to the public, single-author events centering the power of stories, reading, and imagination in children’s lives.