Why We Share Literature with Children-Textbook Reflection

One reason why we share literature with children is because it is fun. Children start to become familiar with authors and illustrators. They also will begin enjoying reading with others and to other people. It also aids in the acquisition of language and language development. Students who read or are read to at home are more likely to have higher test scores and have a stronger and higher vocabulary development. According to research, children should have at least 1000 books read to them or they read by kindergarten. Sharing literature with children also helps develop empathy. This is a life lesson they will hold on to the rest of their lives. They are more likely to be truly understanding of people. Another reason we share literature is because it supports life-long readers, or unconscious delight. Children will either start to become “series” readers or “serial readers”. Series readers enjoy following book series and following a story. Serial readers follow certain books based on their genres, authors, etc. Reading ladders provide a guide to help librarians continue to help see what the student enjoys, gives the reader a place to start, and helps them grow. Readers like to read books that are like them. Kids like to see themselves in the books, this is why we need diversity in books. Many times students read for autobiographical reasons. Students can see themselves in a “mirror” when they are reading certain books that relate to their life personally. Students love to read for vicarious experiences. They are looking through a “window” of books. Kids can go through experiences by seeing how a character in books handles a certain situation or see the consequence the character is dealing with. Another way to support lifelong learning is to read for philosophical speculation. Children read certain books to see how they feel about important issues in their life, ethically, religiously, politically, etc. Reading for philosophical speculation answers big questions for kids; such as who am I, and why things happen. Reading for aesthetic experiences also supports lifelong readers, and why we share literature with children. This makes the child want to share the story they are reading, which gives them a deeper meaning. Sharing literature with children develops their imagination. The book may make them think deeper and wonder, “What would happen if...” Literature helps transmit culture. Students should have access to many different types of books. When watching the points about how students read for vicarious experiences and autobiographically, it brought me back to my junior high years. I love reading vicariously about how detectives figure out mysteries. Since I was a cheerleader, I loved reading autobiographically books about cheerleading. When evaluating young adult literature, I would read from a student’s point of view to make sure they cover a wide variety of issues.