English 2F - Children's Lit
Response 12 -Children and their Literature

Purpose: To think critically about the trends in children's literature, to evaluate our cultural and academic standards for children, to compare attitudes about children and children's literature from the days of our own childhood and now.

Directions: 

Note: The responses are intended to be a way for you to explore ideas that you might later wish to refine in a paper or a discussion.  I will not censor these responses in any way, nor will I grade them on content or grammar (though, like the seminars, they must be coherent and display some measure of critical thinking about the question at hand). You do not have to answer all the questions, nor do you have to confine yourself to these questions.  You can write as much as you want, as long as you meet the minimum length requirements for the assignment

1. Think about yourself as a child - your family's attitudes about reading and writing and story-telling, your experiences with literature and with formal education, your early experiences with books and with imagination. Think about a child growing up in the 21st century. How is that child's experience different from your own? How is it similar?

2. Choose one or more of the questions below and write a 1-2 page response.

  • What are some of the major factors that influenced you in your journey to become a literate person?
  • What are some of the differences and similarities between your experience with books and stories, and the experiences children of today are having? Do you think we are doing a good job of teaching our children to become literate? Why or why not?
  • What role does technology have in the teaching of literature and literacy?
  • What are some of the big challenges facing parents, teachers and other adults when it comes to teaching kids how to read, and how to enjoy literature? What are some ways we might face those challenges more efficiently or successfully?

4. Submit your response to the assignments chamber.

5. Extra Credit Option: Post your response to the extra credit forums, "Response 12 - Children and Their Literature". You will receive extra credit if you post your response and/or respond to at least one other student's posting.