Chapter 5 - Traditional Literature

Traditional literature, folk literature, or oral literature is the standard tales, stories, and poems of people that have been passed down by word of mouth through many generations. Since traditional stories have been handed down orally, no one knows who told the tales first. However, there is a reason why folk literature has traveled around the world, and this reason is because it meets a variety of human needs. These needs include: the need to explain the natural world in the absence of scientific information, the need to articulate our fears and dreams, thus making them accessible and manageable, the need to impose some order on the apparent random, even chaotic, nature of life, thus helping us to understand our place in the universe, and the need to entertain each other, as well as ourselves.

                Traditional literature provides children with values, and it is important that children become familiar with the rich heritage of folk literature that has come down to use from cultures around the world. Traditional literature also presents children with framework for the literature, drama, and art they will come across later in school. Children are also provided with entertainment and pleasure because they enjoy reading and hearing folktales. Traditional stories also contain strong rhythm, rhyme, and repetition of patterns that are created for the children’s developing memory and imagination.

                Teachers can have students use multicultural traditional literature pieces to compare different versions of the story. It helps children understand the personal dimension and standards of behavior of a culture and at the same time reduce stereotypes. For instance, when studying history or social studies, children can learn a great deal about a particular country and its people by analyzing traditional tales from that country. Traditional tales can be used to introduce and expand on many topics.

Traditional Literature for your Classroom Library

Chapter 9 - Poetry

Amazingly, poetry is the first genre children hear through nursery rhymes and lullabies and as they grow older they continue to listen to poetry through raps, riddles, and games they might play with friends.

I've learned that poetry is another way of introducing children to new vocabulary and the power of word choice and word order to deepen and broaden knowledge, understanding, and perspective. Poetry is much more than a story, it shaped to build up an emotional rhythm or effect. In order for children to be familiar with this genre they must be exposed at an early age to a range of poetry and engage in a variety of forms of response to poetry.

Children love poetry because it can be fun, it rhymes, and it can about anything such as animals! When introducing children to poetry it is important to allow them to explore and use their imaginations to produce a poem. The best way to allow them to begin is to have them listen to a variety of poetry. Including pictures may also allow students to understand what they are listening to as well.

The best thing about poetry is that it can be about anything. Allowing students to create poetry for any subject is key. Students enjoy writing in a different style rather than the traditional essay format. Students learn more when they are given a different way to learn and to apply their learning. Many students see poems as rapping or making music, which at any age kids love! 

Poetry for your Classroom Library

Chapter 6 - Modern Fantasy

When you can find books where children can engage, have fun, and learn all at the same time, you’ve found a great tool for teaching. With modern fantasy books I think that is just what you can do. You can allow students to engage in stories where animals talk, where people, aliens, and monsters come together and share one world and relate it to a lesson or real life situations. Students will benefit from having the opportunity to learn through a book and see books from a different perspective other than from a textbook or lecture.

There are also two different types of modern fantasy. There are low fantasy and high fantasy stories. A low fantasy stories takes place here in our world but with aspects such as magic that would make the event impossible and not true. A high fantasy story takes things from our real world and completely moves them to another, non-existent world. The features of low to high fantasy are: Magic, Other Worlds, Good vs. Evil, Heroism, Special Character Types and Fantastic Objects.

I believe modern fantasy is a good type of literature to have in the classroom because it frees children’s imagination while it teaches them life lessons. When children can imagine and read things that perhaps are not possible in real life, it takes them to a different place from reality, which keeps the children engaged and learning at the same time. Teachers can come up with a lot of activities when it comes to fantasy, the point of fantasy is to do what otherwise is not expected and still learn!

Modern Fantasy Books for your Classroom Library