TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADE

THROUGH LITERATURE

UNIT 1- LESSON 1- The Place of Literature in a Child’s Life

Lesson Objective:

1. Explain the place of literature in a child’s life.

2. Identify the things that can contribute to a child’s creative development.
3. Analyze the effect of literature to a child’s life.

From the beginning of education in our country, children’s literature had always had a
place in the school curriculum. Although the emphases in the literary experiences of young
people at school have changed from time to time, the basic commitment to literature as a
valuable ingredient to their education has remained.

Except for the textbooks for classroom training, children have not been exposed to a
wealth of challenging reading materials for their own pleasure. Textbooks are not enough; books
that young people can read for their own enjoyment and profit are needed. The practical values
of children’s books have not fully recognized. Because of the dearth of reading materials,
children turn to anything within their reach, anything that is accessible to them, like comics, song
books, and magazines that are done hardly in good taste especially the local comics that abound
in magazine stands on practically every corner. They watched mediocre TV shows and listen to
the soapbox operas and other humdrum radio programs. Movies that claim to be of social
relevance are nothing more than the glorification of the feats of infamous characters endowed
with folk- hero appeal and are nothing more than exercises in erotica.

This kind of environment produces a depraved child with questionable values in life.
Those existing conditions are not impossible to change as long as there are people who are aware
of the needs of the child and are willing to do something to counteract what brought such
conditions. These changes should be cooperative undertaking combining the effort of those who
touch the child’s life- parents, teachers, as well as librarians.

A child’s appreciation of good literature comes partly from exposure to stimulating

stories and books which start at home.

Teachers, librarians as well as parents, can work effectively in the developing in children
a love for literature to expand the horizon of children and enhance their worth as children who
will someday become worthwhile adults who can contribute to their country’s progress and
prosperity and who can be versatile in meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing milieu.

The world of books offers children rich opportunities for developing into citizens and
well rounded personalities who will be assets to their family and society. Through books, they
may partly fulfill their basic emotional needs- an indispensable condition for personality
development.

Books are no substitute for living, but they can add immeasurably to its richness. When
life is difficult, they can give momentary relief from trouble, or a new insight into problems, or a
source of information, comfort, and pleasure to those who know how to use them. This is as true
for children as well as for adults. There is a therapeutic value of literature that must be
recognized. Literature provides emotional release, and in reading the writings of others, many
children are able to project themselves so that they receive help for their own problem. They
come to understand human nature by learning that their problems are not unique.

Through literature the child develops his tastes in reading for pleasure. If he experiences
satisfaction in the stories the teacher reads, he will seek out this satisfaction in other stories.
Satisfaction, happiness, contentment, fun, joy, positive release, pleasure; all of these should
accompany the literature period in the classroom.
 Literature fulfills a need in the classroom which does not confine it to the language arts
alone. It touches on every aspect of living and should be an integral part of the school program.
At least everyday or in some situations or instances more than this, a teacher should read a poem
or story or tell a story to the children regardless of their age range or grade placement. There is a
wealth of good literature for every occasion that the teacher can choose from.
Children need literature in order to enrich their own language. Literature is a beautiful
language, thus freeing him to expose its meaning and requiring him to use his higher mental
processes. The processes of thinking, perceiving, remembering, forming concepts, generalizing
and abstracting are made possible as the child acquires his vocabulary.
Children’s Literature contribute toward creative development in boys and girls and offers
many opportunities for creative teaching. The creative teaching of literature can contribute to the
creative development in many ways.
1. It can stimulate children to write for themselves. Children who write their own
literature are always eager to see what others write.
2. It can help build a vocabulary that will help the child to express himself better.
3. It can help children build skills in expression.
4. It can develop a sensitivity to sights, sounds, words, life’s problems and people.

Literature provides various experiences which enhance the development of children.

They can increase their knowledge, change their outlook, broaden their interests, develop
desirable attitudes and values, refine their tastes, modify their behavior, and stimulate intellectual
and emotional growth and in various ways help to prepare them for more effective participation
in social processes and for living life fully.
Literature is entertainment. Along with radio, television, movies and picture magazines,
sometime should be reserved for reading. The reading of fine prose and poetry helps to take
children away from the urgencies and cares of living and refresh their spirit.
Children should be properly motivated and guided to read good books. Oftentimes
children don’t have time to read because they are laden heavily with homework and they hardly
have time to read for pleasure. Over dependence on textbooks have forced children to exist on an
impoverished literary diet.
The best initiators or motivators for developing in children the desireu to read are the
parents, the teachers and the librarians.
There are many techniques, activities, devices which can be used to develop children’s
interest in literature. The task of parents, teachers, librarians and even writers is to guide the
children into the world of books where they will find joy and interesting works that can satisfy
their various purposes for reading.
However, it is not enough to encourage the children to read.
Children who, through intimate, daily contacts with the best in children’s Literature-
know that a good book is the best of friends, today and forever.