This course provides an introduction to children's literature, focusing on the principles of effective book selection, evaluation, and application in educational and other contexts. Students will explore selection guidelines, develop effective storytelling techniques, and practice critical interpretation to choose developmentally appropriate books and stories for children.
Prerequisites
Reading proficiency as established by District policy.
1. Explain the importance of reading and its influence on children’s cognitive, social, and language development.
2. Utilize established criteria to identify high-quality and developmentally appropriate literature for children.
3. Examine the historical progression and major trends in children's literature and demonstrate traditional storytelling methods.
4. Categorize children's literature into primary genres and identify representative works for each genre.
5. Outline the evolution of picture books and summarize significant milestones in their development.
6. Assess the function and effectiveness of illustrations in enhancing meaning and engagement in children's books.
7. Develop and implement a developmentally appropriate plan to introduce children to poetry.
8. Compare and contrast the characteristics of folklore, fantasy, fiction, biographies, and informational texts.
9. Critically assess multicultural and international children's books using explicit evaluative criteria.
10. Evaluate controversial children's books by analyzing character portrayals and thematic content for developmental appropriateness.