Reading the world : what young children learn from literature

Summary: By making and sharing stories, we humans come to understand our world and everything in it. Our lives are enhanced by the narratives we encounter, make and share - not only in books but through film, TV, online, in the theatre, through paintings and drawings, through dance and play. Yet the time schools and pre-schools devote to reading and telling stories ever diminishes and now focuses primarily on literacy, not literature. This book is about stories and young children. The first part considers such issues as semiotics, narrative, culture, cultural tools, thus providing a theoretical framework for what follows. The second section looks at the oral tradition, wordless picture books, picture books with words, chapter books, popular culture and translation. The final section considers issues around controversy in literature, children as narrators, and what children do to adopt and subvert the world through their role play - their own acted out narratives. Reading the World is invaluable for early years teachers, nursery nurses, teaching assistants and other practitioners, but will appeal also to parents and caregivers, those who teach children at Key stages 1 and 2 and to students on initial teacher training courses. It will be of interest to the growing body of students following programs on children's literature and book making.