Literature For Children

Why Children's Literature is Important in Our Society

First of all, we need to know and have a clear idea of what literature is. That simple question is going to help us to describe and understand the concepts and theories that compose this magic world.

The word literature literally means "things made from letters" and the term "letters" is sometimes used to signify "literature." It means every time we are going to talk about literature, we need to mention the letters, understanding that those words are connected and also taking into account the value that this two words have in our educational field.

We could say literature for children refers to all the activities that have the goal to privilege the imaginative manifestations as a fundamental resource in the child’s intellectual development, and all of this includes novels, poems, songs, and books that provide information on the arts, science, and some books written for adults that could be popular for young readers.

The best of children’s literature is simply good literature that anyone, child or adult, can enjoy; it provides a great resource for the development of expressive oral and written language abilities, listening books read aloud is a powerful motivation for children to learn how to read. When children listen, they not only learn that reading provides enjoyment but also gain exposure to patterns of language and vocabulary.

Children’s Literature has a vital role in motivating children to read and developing skills in language arts; the stories that captivate the imagination provide a rich knowledge and also improve the four abilities in children; speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It also provides the opportunity for children to hear and read good writing that is beyond the level of their own conversation.

Children’s literature is important because it provides students new opportunities to answer questions about the environment they live in; a new perspective of their own culture, it means children’s literature provides students with the opportunity to answer to literature and develop their own opinions about the topic they want to explore. It is a powerful tool to teach children about their own cultural heritage and the cultures of other people. (Norton,2010,p.3) argue that:

It is crucial for children to learn these values because developing positive attitudes toward our own culture and the cultures of others is necessary for both social and personal development.

It also helps students to develop emotional intelligence, creativity, student’s personality and social skills. Children’s literature stimulates a child´s imagination; Norton stresses “the role that literature plays in nurturing and expanding the imagination” (2010, p. 4). There are many imaginative books that encourage students to learn about the world. For example” The House in the Night (Swanson,

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