1 Auditing and extending your knowledge of children’s literature

You will start by auditing your own knowledge of children’s literature.

Activity 1: Auditing your knowledge of children’s literature

You are likely to be the main source of literature for your students. It is therefore important that you know a variety of stories and poems to read from books or recount from memory that are appropriate to your students’ age and level.

This audit not a test. Its aim is to help you to identify your starting point with regards to your knowledge of children’s literature. Try to be as honest as possible with your answers. Note down any examples that come to mind. Ask your colleagues to do an audit of their knowledge at the same time. It will be interesting to share your answers with them at the end.

Can you recite from memory:

  • a poem for children?
  • a rhyme that children chant?

Can you retell from memory:

  • a folk tale for children?
  • a short historical narrative?

Can you name:

  • a character in a children’s story or folk tale?
  • a character in a poem or rhyme for children?

Can you name:

  • a children’s story book ?
  • a children’s poetry book?
  • an Indian children’s author?
  • an Indian children’s poet?

Compare your audit and your thoughts with your colleagues if you can.

Pause for thought

  • Do you and your colleagues have similar or different knowledge of children’s texts and authors? Is there knowledge you can share?
  • Are the same stories and poems from your childhood told to children today?
  • Do you use any of these stories or poems in your classroom? Why, or why not?

You will probably have recalled some stories and poems from your childhood. You might remember a folk tale with a moral message or a warning to children to behave well, or a rhyme that you chanted in the school playground. You may have learned these stories or poems at home, in the community, and in school – maybe without ever reading them in a book. While you may be more familiar with folk stories or poems, your colleagues might recall stories by children’s authors such as R.K. Narayan, Anant Pai or Ruskin Bond. These may or may not be the same stories that children are reading today. There are also new stories that children are interested in, whether from television, comic series or local legends. These stories – old and new – can be used as a resource in your classroom, so it is useful to develop a repertoire of stories to use while teaching.

Activity 2: Extending your knowledge of children’s literature

Now make a plan to build on your audit. Set yourself a target to read:

  • two children’s authors who are new to you
  • two children’s poets who are new to you

Share your ideas with your colleagues.

Why this approach is important

2 Choosing literature to use in the classroom