The Importance Of Quality Literature In Childhood

Learning to read is one of my earliest childhood memories, and I can still remember reading with my family most nights before bed. My mother, older brother and I would take turns each reading pages of a book together. Giorgis (2009), reading to children frequently enhances their intellectual, social, moral, aesthetic and creative development (Giorgis, 2009). Having a mother who was a primary school teacher herself was a key reason my brothers and I read at a young age. She understood the benefits of reading that Giorgis explores, and integrated reading into each day as much as possible.

Children not only need to be exposed to a diverse range of books, but also need to be able to comprehend the text (Simpson, 2008). As a result, reading

Quality literature are pieces of writing that comment on, and introduce more serious topics and issues of humanity in a softer, more approachable manner towards children. Saxby (_______) proposes that as children’s literature contributes to the growth and development of their imagination, quality literature should provoke a child’s sensory, emotional, cognitive and moral experiences. The writing should act as a vessel to communicate and reflect on issues present in everyday life in an imaginative, artistic and interesting way. There are many literature pieces I read as a child that can be classified as quality. Anthony Browne’s Willy The Wimp series targets a range of topics such as bullying, self-confidence, stereotypes and more, through both the storyline and exciting illustrations. Not only do these texts provide an aesthetic experience, but also they build and develop a child’s morality and ethics. Jungle Drums, written by Graeme Base is another quality piece of literature that focuses on inner beauty, and teaches children to love and accept themselves for who they are. The story is projected through the vibrant and humorous illustrations, which stimulate the reader’s imagination through its wild and unusual