Valuing Children’s Literature

1. Valuing Children’s Literature Media and Literature for Children Saundra Peterson, Assistant Professor Curriculum & Instruction North Carolina A&T State University

2. Valuing Literature for Children Literature should be valued in our homes and schools for the enrichment it gives to the personal lives of children as well as the educational benefits.

3. Valuing Literature for Children Literature provides delight and enjoyment. Literature can be educational and entertaining and can contribute to the development of: • Personal Values • Narrative as a way of thinking

4. Valuing Literature for Children • Imagination (nature, people, experiences or ideas in new ways) • Vicarious experiences • Insight into human behavior • Universality of experience • Educational values • Development of language

5. Literature in School Experiences with literature at an early age can benefit children. Once children enter school, they also benefit when literature is placed at the center of the curriculum.

6. Literature in School • Reading aloud and learning to read • The powerful influence of books on literacy and children’s language development continues once they enter school. • Reading aloud can result in significant increases in their reading achievement.

7. Literature in School • Develop a since of book language • Hearing books read aloud is a powerful motivation for the child to begin to read. Children learn that reading provides enjoyment. In turn, they want to learn to read themselves. • They also see someone important in their lives value books. • Exposure to books also provides a rich input of literary language.

8. Literature in School • Listening introduces children to patterns of language and extends vocabulary and meaning. • It help them become successful readers. The more experience with literature, the greater their ability to grasp the meaning of the text and understand the way the author tells it.

9. Literature in School • It also allows children to develop fluency and understanding of language • Reading of many books is essential to the development of better readers. • Reading and rereading of stories help develop avid readers.

10. Literature in School • Avid reader’s also develop better writing skills. • There is a relationship between reading and writing. Good writers are avid readers. Reading and writing develop together. Reading provides models for children’s writing and the kinds of reading children are exposed to are important.

11. Literature in the Home Reading aloud in the home has been shown to be a powerful connection to later success in learning to read and in developing a positive attitude towards reading. Books in the home and reading aloud are important factors in children learning to read.

12. Literature in School • Promotes critical thinking and problem solving • Comparing, summarizing and finding the main ideas are major components of critical thinking • The variety of literary content and the availability of many books on topic s provide opportunities for thinking critically and making judgments.

13. Literature in School • Literature across the curriculum • The widely read person is usually the well-informed person. The content of literature educates while it entertains. • All areas of the curriculum can be enriched through literature. Children can start with a story and research the facts; or might start with the facts and find the true meanings in the stories surrounding the facts.

14. Literature in School • Introduce literary heritage • Children’s appreciation for literature and their literary heritage must be developed gradually in elementary school as a way to add to the enjoyment of literature.