Critical Evaluation of the Content and Process of the Writing of a Text for Children
Introduction
Reading is an important skill that needs to be developed in children, not only because is it necessary for survival in the world of schools, but in adult life as well. (Schulze 2010) The ability to learn about new subjects and find helpful information on anything from health problems to more academic research into science or the arts depends on the ability to read. Children's books 'play an important part in a child's development and can help them to better understand the world around them'. (Wray 2006:3)
Why is Children's Literature Important?
Literacy skills provide a child with the building blocks necessary for reading and writing, and more generally learning. Through exposure to books and stories, babies and toddlers acquire the vital preliminary tools for learning to read and write (Schultz 2010). Linguistic, social, emotional, and cognitive development are complementary processes that ultimately work together to shape a child's literacy growth. (Dolya 2009) Vygotsky, a 20th-century Russian psychologist, theorized that 'social interaction shapes intellectual development and stressed the importance of language in the development of thought.' (Johnson 2003) Books enable the newly socialised child to explore interpersonal relationships and human motives. ( Jalongo 2004) Children can use books to learn self acceptance, model self coping strategies and cope with powerful emotions. This identifies just how important the use of good children's literature is within a child's development.
The National Curriculum for English at Key Stage 1 requires that pupils should be taught to
read with fluency, accuracy, understanding and enjoyment, building on what they already
know. In order to help them develop understanding of the nature and purpose of reading, they should be given an extensive...