Chapter 1

Overall I thought this chapter did a great job discussing name introduction as a means toward beginning a story. Personally, I feel readers are more likely to identify with a story when they have a character to identify with. The story is given a more human element and thusly readers are more apt to engage with what is being presented to them.
Additionally, I felt the ideas for classroom learning were beneficial as well. My favorite suggestion would have to be the read around process. However, I would want to make sure this read around was also coupled with discussion so as to better assist students in analyzing what they are reading. The suggestions to use 'where I'm from', 'Sweet Learning', and 'childhood narratives' while also maintaining discipline were alright as well. The problem I see in these circle around the concern that perhaps some students have moved around a lot and are not sure where they're from, haven't had a good childhood, and don't feel close to their family. For those students, these activities might prove to be embarrassing to them, so the class should probably be gauged first.