Republic of the Philippines

Iloilo Science and Technology University

Miagao Campus
Miagao, Iloilo

TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE ELEMENTRAY GRADES THROUGH LITERATURE (EED 111)

First Semester 2025

MODULE I: LITERATURE: ITS DEFINITION, IMPORTANCE AND IMPLICATIONS

INTRODUCTION TO CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

Lesson Outcomes: At the end of the lesson, the students must have:
1. defined literature and their implications on teaching language ;
2. discussed the distinctive sides of the language of literature;
3. explained the importance of integrating literature in teaching English in the elementary through a
song interpretation; and
4. presented through a power point presentation the interaction between the components of a reading
process and literary competence.

ACTIVATE: ________________________________________________
Simply explain:

1. 2.

ACQUIRE: ________________________________________________
WHAT IS LITERATURE?

 from the Latin littera, “a letter of the alphabet,” literature is first and foremost humankind’s entire body of
writing; after that it is the body of writing belonging to a given language or people; then it is individual pieces of
writing.
 a body of written works which is traditionally been applied to those imaginative works of poetry and prose
distinguished by the intentions of their authors and the perceived aesthetic excellence of their execution.
 literature may be classified according to a variety of systems, including language, national origin, historical
period, genre, and subject matter
 is “the body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age, or the body of writings on a
particular subject (scientific, art, etc.)”
 any body of written works that is written and produced in any country, language or age for a specific purpose
such as information, education or entertainment to the reader, which can be fictional or non-fictional in nature.
 the total of preserve writings belonging to a given language or people.

THE SCOPE OF LITERATURE

 Literature is a form of human expression but not everything expressed in words—even when organized and
written down—is counted as literature.
 Writings that are informative—technical, scholarly, journalistic—
 Certain forms of writing, however, are universally regarded as belonging to literature as an art.
 Download and study: [Link]

IMPORTANCE OF LITERATURE:

 Literature improves your command of language.

  It teaches you about the life, cultures and experiences of people in other parts of the world.
 It gives you information about other parts of the world which you may never be able to visit in your lifetime.
 It entertains you and provides useful occupation in your free time.
 It makes you a wiser and more experienced person by forcing you to judge, sympathize with, or criticize the
characters you read about.
 It helps you compare your own experiences with the experiences of other people.
 It gives information which may be useful in other subjects, for example, in Geography, Science, History, Social

DEFINITION OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

“Children’s literature is good quality trade books for children from birth to adolescence, covering topics of
relevance and interests to children of those ages, through prose and poetry, fiction and nonfiction.”

Note: A trade book, by design and content, is primarily for the purpose of entertainment and information. Trade
books are often referred to as library books and story books. They are different from textbooks, which are for the
purpose of instruction.

A) Content
Topic: 1) experiences of childhood set in the past, present, or future (e.g., enjoying birthday parties,
anticipating adulthood, getting a new pet, enduring siblings, and dealing with family situations); 2) things that are of
interest to children (e.g., dinosaurs, Egyptian mummies, world records)
Manner: 1) stories are told in a forthright, humorous, or suspenseful manner (stories that are told in nostalgic
or overly sentimental terms are inappropriate); 2) stories should emphasize the hope for a better future rather than
the hopelessness and utter despair of the moment.

B) Quality
“The best children’s books offer readers enjoyment as well as memorable characters and situations and valuable
insights into the human condition.”
Quality of writing:
•originality and importance of ideas
•imaginative use of language
•beauty of literary and artistic style

Note: Children usually enjoy reading fast-moving, adventure-filled, and easily predictable stories. These works have
won no literary prizes, but they encourage children to read independently and read more.

VALUES OF LITERATURE TO CHILDREN

A) The Personal Value B) The Academic Value

- enjoyment - improving reading skills

- Imagination and inspiration - developing writing voice and style
- vicarious experience - promoting art appreciation
- understanding and empathy - learning content-area knowledge
- cultural heritage
- moral reasoning
- literary and artistic preferences

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Ages 0-2 - nursery rhymes for reading aloud

- brief, plotless, concept books with brightly colored pictures
sensorimotor - interactive books (e.g. touching and opening little doors)
period - often in the form of heavy, nontoxic cardboard or cloth books

Ages 2-4 - simple-plot picture storybooks and folktales for reading aloud
- nursery rhymes for them to memorize
pre-conceptual - concept books including numbers, letters, and more complex concepts like opposites (e.g.
stage counting books, word books, and illustrated dictionaries)
 Ages 4-7 - easy-to-read picture storybooks, folktales, and rhymes for reading aloud, storytelling, and “
Beginning readers
play-reading”
intuitive stage - informational books for beginning readers that help children find out about the world and
how it works
- they begin to understand the notion of stories, letter-sound relationship, left-to-right and
top-to-bottom progression of print on the page, and a slight vocabulary

Ages 7-9 - longer picture books and short chapter books with simple, straightforward plots and writing
Transitional readers styles
- their interest in folktales begin to fall off by age 8; they show more interest in realistic stories
period of concrete
and adventures of young characters
operations
(7-11 years)

Ages 9-12 - sophisticated picture storybooks and novels (chapter books) with more complicated plots,
Competent readers including realistic fiction (survival stories, peer stories, animal stories, mysteries, and
romances), historical fiction, and science fiction
- series books containing similar topics, recurring characters, and formulaic patterns of plots

SOME TRENDS IN CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

 Increased numbers of adults reading children’s books, primarily because of the Harry Potter phenomenon.
 Increasing dominance of illustration in children’s books. Readers are becoming more visually oriented as they
spend more time watching television and playing video games and spend less time reading.
 Fewer full-length novels and more short, high-interest, low-reading-level novels begins written for 10- to 14-
year-olds.
 Rapid growth of technology in all areas of publishing. As schools adopt computerized managements reading
programs, reading and books become less a means to enjoyment and discovering new information and more a
matter of gaining points.
 An increase in the publication of bilingual books to accommodate the rapid increase in second language
learner students.
 Increased merchandising of book-related paraphernalia, such as games, craft kits, cookbooks, dolls, and doll
accessories.

"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found
doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish
things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grownup."
~ from C. S. Lewis (1952)

APPLY: ___________________________________________________
With a partner, explained the importance of integrating literature in teaching English in the
elementary through a song interpretation. Be creative in your output. You may borrow the lyrics of some famous
children song. Deadline will be on November 27, 2021 to be uploaded in YouTube and kindly send the link in my email
add janiceirenenoble7@[Link].

ASSESS: ___________________________________________________
Provide additional five (5) TRENDS in children’s literature. Use any sheet of paper, capture your answer with
your phone camera and upload it in our VLE. Deadline will be on October 20, 2021 at 12 midnight.

References:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
Prepared:
MA. MAJA JADE N. PEREZ, PhD
Associate Professor V
Enhanced by: Janice Irene T. Noble, EdD