Blog 4: Out Of My Mind

The text I’m reading for this unit is “Out of my Mind” written by Sharon M. Draper. The story is about an eleven year old girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy. Melody can’t move her limbs that well so she is placed in a wheelchair, in addition she cannot speak. The book is written from Melody’s perspective and how she’s dealt with life. Something I love about this book is the perspective change I feel when I read. To see disabled people is one thing but I have never thought of what might go on in their head and how they view life. I feel like this text is so crucial for younger audiences because as a child whenever I viewed persons with disabilities I didn’t know what that meant and how to treat them. This book allows me to read with an open mind and heart to the life Melody faces. I would use this book in my classroom in to teach about disabilities, ways we can communicate without talking (sign language, drawing) and ways to bring awareness of disabilities to others. I would want to challenge my students to do simple tasks with limits  to understand Melody’s perspective and in end grow a deeper understanding of disabilities.