Content

 

Children’s Literature

Children’s literature is good-quality trade books for children from birth to adolescence, covering topics of relevance and interest to children of those ages, through prose and poetry, fiction and non-fiction (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2007).

                                                                  

Academic Value of Children’s Literature (Lynch-Brown & Tomlinson, 2007):

1. Reading – a regular involvement with excellent and appropriate literature can foster language development in young children and can help them learn to read and value reading (Anderson, Hiebert, Scott, Wilkinson, 1985).

2. Writing – by listening to and reading excellent literature, children are exposed to rich vocabulary and excellent writing styles, which serve as good models for their own speaking and writing voices.

3. Content-area Subjects – the use of works of literature as reinforcement for classroom topics and teaching materials in the content areas of social studies and history, science, health, and mathematics.

4. Art Appreciation – illustration in children’s picture books can be appreciated for its ability to help tell the story (cognitive value) and for its value as art (aesthetic value).