It is hard to disagree that reading is an integral part of most people’s lives. Humans begin getting acquainted with books starting with the earliest months of their lives, and various interesting and developing stories surround them even when they cannot read themselves. At the same time, when becoming older, many people remember children’s books being too naive, which prevents them from reading such stories critically. This phenomenon has been explored by various researchers, including in the article “Introduction for Students.”
Overall, there are multiple false assumptions about children’s literature that seem problematic. Stories for kids are perceived to be too obvious and simple, deprived of deeper meaning, pure and innocent, and discussing ideas and concepts that are not helpful in the real life. However, this is not true, and almost every book for children has a much more profound and severe meaning. Stories written for kids are not only for fun purposes, but those parents who do not believe in their significance cannot make their own children learn from the stories they hear and read. At the same time, it is vital to treat literature for kids in a critical manner. According to Duncan (n.d.), the latter means to read actively, ask questions, analyze the text, examine its contexts, develop new thoughts and assumptions, and reject some parts of information that do not correspond with one’s system of values. Reading for fun means getting acquainted with a story, enjoying it, and forgetting its message after some time. However, reading critically means engaging with the writing and carrying its message for an extended period of time, applying it to real life.
One of the article’s passages I enjoyed most is about lessons one may take from children’s literature. The paragraph reads as follows: “In addition to being complex, children’s literature is a key site for transmitting values and educating children. This fact makes it especially important – it has a profound impact on socialization and society. By better understanding the texts produced and given to children, we gain a stronger understanding of the broader culture we live in” (“Introduction for Students,” n.d., p. 8). While the purpose of texts for kids is to allow their imagination to develop, it is also essential to remember that such stories provide small children with basic values and beliefs. This is what I will always remember when choosing appropriate stories for children.
References
Duncan, J. (n.d.). Reading critically [PDF document]. Web.
Introduction for students [PDF document]. (n.d.).