Scholar Critic Children's Literature in the Language Classroom: A Holistic Experience

Ms, Dr Srinivasan
unpublished
Stories play an important role in children's lives since they provide a rich source of imaginative input. Children's literature is designed to help children understand and empathize with the world views and benefit from the experiences of others. Apart from the obvious pleasure derived from a good story, there are many pedagogic reasons for using children's literature in the language classroom. Students can learn the language or imbibe other aspects of life only when they are emotionally drawn
more » ... o it. Since literature mirrors human life, it helps in the emotional development of the child. In addition, it offers a meaningful context to learn the language. Stories not only stimulate interest in children but they also facilitate the integration of language and thinking skills. The more the children read, the greater their vocabulary and the better their cognitive skills. Listening to stories being read aloud exposes children to a myriad of linguistic and narrative conventions. Hence, students with limited reading and comprehension skills can improve their linguistic abilities and cognitive skills by drawing from the repertoire of children's literature. This paper focuses on the holistic experience that can be gained when children's literature is used in the language classroom.
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