The Place of Literature

in a Child’s Life
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
Because of the dearth of reading materials,
children turn to anything that is accessible to
them, like comics, songbooks, and magazines
that are done hardly in good taste especially the
local comics that abound in magazine stands on
practically every corner.
 The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
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.
 The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
This kind of environment produces a depraved child
with questionable values in life.
Those existing condition are not impossible to
change as long as there are people who are aware of
the needs of a child and are willing to do something
to counteract what brought such conditions
 The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
 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 starts at
home.
Through literature the child develops his tastes in reading
for pleasure.
 The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
 If he experiences satisfaction in the stories the
teacher reads, he will seek out the satisfaction in
other stories.
 Satisfaction, happiness, contentment, fun, joy,
positive release, pleasure: all of these should
accompany the literature period in the classroom.
 The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
 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.
 The Place of Literature in a Child’s
Life
 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 creative development in many
ways.
 Creative teaching of literature and
Creative Development of a Child
 It can stimulate children to write for themselves.
It can help build vocabulary that will help the child
to express himself better.
 It can help children build skills in expression.
 it can develop a sensitivity to sights, sounds, words,
life’s problems and people.
 Children’s Reading Interests
Interest is an expression of individual’s pattern of
reaction or behaviour toward himself, his
environment, his associates and the situations he
may find himself.
 Needs refer to the “desire for what are called or
considered necessities.” (PMESMSAER)
 Needs of a Child
Material Security
 Emotional Security
 Intellectual Security
 Spiritual Security
 Need to Belong
 Aesthetic Satisfaction
 Developmental Reading Preferences
 Before the age of two years
- child’s handling of books
- his interest in looking at pictures
- his poses as though he is reading and making
baby sounds as he looks at the pictures
- his desire for storytelling and being read to
 Developmental Reading Preferences
From 3-6 years
- factual stories
- rhymes
- jingles
- stories with attractive illustrations
- fanciful stories
 Developmental Reading Preferences
 From 6-7 years:
- children do not read too well yet
- simple in content and style (read by adult)
- stories about children of their own kind
- funny stories and animal tales
 Developmental Reading Preferences
 Children 8 and ten:
- begin to read for themselves
- folk and fairy tales
- stories about children
- boys and girls have the same reading interests
 Developmental Reading Preferences
 Children from 11-12 years:
- girls: stories about home life and domestic
happenings, romance, quiet social situations
- boys: vigorous adventure and aggressive action
 Developmental Reading Preferences
 High School age level:
- history
- biography
- magazine articles
- humorous stories
- hobbies