With a cacophony of digital devices calling for their attention, it’s a wonder that any child nestles down with a book in the modern world. Yet millions do because they’ve been introduced to the right reading materials at the right age, to show them how rewarding and exciting it can be to get lost in the pages of a book. This short article examines how to instill in your children – be they your class or your own kids – a love of literature, whatever their background or interests.
Loving Literature
Too often, English class can feel like a dull exercise, plodding through books before talking about metaphors and similes. That might be what the syllabus demands, but that’s not necessarily how you need to teach books to pupils or your own kids. The most important lessons that you can leave them with – and one that’ll stick with them for life – is to love books and to find in them the kind of solace and serenity that children through the ages have found in literature.
To get them there, a Literature Appreciation Certificate will certainly help. It’s designed to help English teachers get their class enthused about books – not just the features of books that they’ll have to write essays and exams on. This is a brilliant way to augment your love of books, too, while passing it down to the new generation.
Finding Great Books
There’s little use in putting a work of Shakespeare in front of a 12-year-old. They simply won’t be able to penetrate these wonderful plays and will instead begin associating great literature with boring texts that they can barely comprehend. It would be best if you placed exciting books in front of children, whether they’re toddlers or young adults.
There are obvious starting points here. Most children love working through the Harry Potter books, even if they’ve already seen the films. There are spy novels and books about being a teenage girl that’ll speak to different types of young person and their interests. Research online to find books most appropriate for your kids or your class.
Active Learning
In the past, books weren’t taught. You would set your class a reading, and ask them to come back the following week to discuss what they’ve read and what they thought of it all. Unfortunately, this formula isn’t all that inspiring – and can actually lead to pupils switching off and not critically interrogating the reading material you’re giving them.
So finding more active ways for your class to read and learn is vital. Have them read out paragraphs in class and encourage them to use different voices for different characters. Focus on meaningful moments – even a sentence – rather than a whole chapter. Continually ask your kids how they’re made to feel from the writing and how they think the characters feel. Keeping the learning experience active will help young people truly appreciate the richness of literature.
There you have it: just three tips to help you make literature more interesting for young people in the modern age of social media and streaming services.
