UFCD 10653

Literature for Childhood and

Youth

25 hours
Learning outcomes

At the end of this UFCD, it is expected that participants will be capable of:

1 - Recognize the importance of literature in early childhood education and

youth.
2 - Recognize the value of the book as an excellent educational tool.
3 - Apply storytelling strategies and techniques.
4 - Apply reading and writing techniques for children and youth.

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1 - Recognize the importance of literature in education
childhood and youth

1.2. The Intrinsic Value of Reading

Both reading and writing are social practices of utmost importance for
the development of human cognition.

Both provide the development of intellect and imagination, in addition to

promote the acquisition of knowledge.

In this way, when we read, various connections occur in the brain that us
allows us to develop reasoning. In addition, with this activity we sharpen
our critical sense through the capacity for interpretation.

In this sense, it is worth remembering that the 'interpretation' of texts is one of the keys.

essentials of reading. After all, it is not enough to read or decode the codes
Linguistic, it is necessary to understand and interpret this reading.

The benefits of reading

There are many benefits that reading provides: development of

imagination, creativity, communication, as well as the increase in
vocabulary, general knowledge, and critical sense.

In addition to these benefits, with reading, we exercise our brain, which

it facilitates text interpretation and leads to greater competence (ability) in
writing.

Reading and brain

Illustration showing reading and its importance for the brain

By reading, the individual acquires a greater repertoire, expanding and broadening their

cognitive horizons. Moreover, studies suggest that the act of reading is

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very pleasurable, as it reduces stress at the same time as
stimulates reflections.

For this reason, reading should be encouraged from primary education.

Encouraging small children at home and creating habits are important keys
so that children develop a taste for reading. One tip is to take them to the
libraries, bookstores, or even telling stories to them.

1.2. The importance of reading in childhood and adolescence

The combination of word and image allows children and young people to engage
their symbolic universe. The imagination of these beings is much more prone to
curiosity and the recognition of new paths, as they involve a
a varied range of meanings open to latent imagination.

The youth audience generally ventures into various authors because of their
playful quality. However, reading cannot have a habitual rigidity.
It is necessary that the freedom of play with words and images leads
these people recreating the universe of the symbolic through their own minds
creative.

Creativity is the strongest factor in this aspect. Reading becomes a lamp.

that explores dark and unknown areas. Children and young people have
this light that illuminates the labyrinths of imagination. They traverse the paths and

they redo new ones until they reach the end of the path that can be resumed with

new lamps that warm the wonderful stories for these individuals.

Reading transforms them into creators of real and imaginary universes. Through
In the leisure time, the young fill in a suggested word, a rich image, making
of the book and their lives, a conjunction full of broad meanings.

It's as if the paper boat carried a magical alphabet, full of

combinations and possibilities through the inventive consciousness of children and
young people. The boat travels the river of the symbolic and it is up to them to fill it with

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new stories. They are indeed inventors of new trajectories, new points of
encounters and misunderstandings.

For this reason, from an early age, little ones must 'breathe' stories.
Words must always be part of children's lives as a pathway.
for full and educational development. It is in childhood and adolescence that
possible inventors, creators, indeed, masters of life are formed. They need to
from reading so that intellectual growth occurs in a healthy, effective, and
full.
This pleasure leads them to find the development of their own experience. It is
as if in the mirror we found multiple colors, multiple knowledges,
various experiences that they will build along the reading, producing themselves,
thus, multifaceted universes that are reflections of their potentialities
imaginative.

The potential at this stage is immense like the vastest sea that travels through the

lines and images of these wonderful books that are produced just for them.
Children's and young adult literature is a rich seed for new trees in its
maturity. It is up to adults to plant these seeds in children and
young people for them to bear fruit. Reading is the power that makes these aspects fruitful.
So, may more and more books come for children and young people.

2 - Recognizing the value of the book as an educational medium by

excellence

2.1. The first contact with the book

It is at home, within the family, that habits should be initiated and developed.
reading with children, playing a fundamental role in creating
readers. Parents are the primary responsible for the education of children and
they also have the right to know, choose, and contribute to the response
education that they wish for their children. In order to establish a
connection between the educational context and the family, the reading of stories should
becoming a regular activity between families and the school. Being the
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stories mostly heard at home and in Kindergarten, this should
become a calm, pleasant moment, of affection and freedom from
to foster in children a love for reading. Thus, 'the main
the life contexts of children are the spaces of excellence for
manifestation of emerging behaviors for the creation of habits, routines
and the taste for reading" (Cruz et. al., 2012, p. 16).

2.2. The book and the School

The practice of telling/reading stories by the Early Childhood Educator is

determinant in the formation and development of the teaching process
the child's learning and, at the same time, a transmitter of knowledge
and values. This is a communication activity, in which the adult transmits to the
children's customs, values, and traditions that promote the formation of the citizen.
Thus, it is the educator's responsibility to provide the child with 'an environment of
enchantment, suspense, surprise, and emotion, in which the plot and the
characters come to life, transforming both the narrator and the listener
(Mateus et al., n.d., p. 56). According to some opinions, while the
The educator tells stories to the children, while simultaneously enabling
a series of opportunities in the activity room, such as: educating, instructing,
enables the development of intelligence and sensitivity, beyond the
children have fun with this moment.

Considering that, after childhood, the child should continue to have contact
frequent with reading during his youth for the acquisition of others
knowledge both at school and at home.

2.3. Recommended books in childhood and youth

Reading out loud, reading quietly, accompanied or alone. Reading, but not reading just anything: the

Life is too short for books that don't add anything.

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Children's books are not necessarily for children, nor are the stories.
simple language doesn't have to be simplistic or, worse, superficial. And there is a lot of that around.

good thing to read.

2.3.1 Books recommended by the National Reading Plan

Thinking of education and culture as

governance axes imply
assumption of reading as a priority
politics, taking this competence as
basic for plural access to
knowledge and enrichment
cultural.

Thinking about education and culture as axes of governance presupposes the

the assumption of reading as a political priority, taking this competence as
basic for plural access to knowledge and cultural enrichment -
indispensable for the exercise of active citizenship and development
economic and social of the country. In this context, the expanded domain of competence

reading is seen as a fundamental condition for the construction and

consolidation of a free society, with social cohesion, democratic access
to information, knowledge, and the creation and enjoyment of cultural activities.

The new phase of the PNL for 2017-2027 (PNL 2027) aims to support and promote
programs specifically designed to promote social integration
through reading, in different formats; the formation of the different
segments of the population - children, youth, and adults; the inclusion of people
with specific needs; the articulated development of a culture
scientific, literary and artistic; and also, access to knowledge and culture with
recourse to information and communication technologies. In the context of their
attributions, and in fulfilling the Government Program, it is the responsibility of the areas of

local authorities, culture, science, technology, and higher education and of

education, the development of an integrated policy for promoting reading
and of writing and multiple literacies, namely, cultural, scientific and
a digital. For this purpose, the Promotion Program competes directly
Reading, the Network of Living Science Centers, the National Library Network

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Public, the Network of School Libraries and the libraries of the institutions of
higher education.

The members of the commission from the four departments

governmental entities directly involved ensure the prosecution and
concretization of the PNL objectives in each of the sectors, and they have, from this

form, the mission to ensure the articulation and convergence between the mission of
plan and its own activities, avoiding contradictions and redundancies and
contributing to its full implementation.

The PNL 2027 calls as central partners the schools, the libraries, the
higher education institutions, training centers, recognition,
validation and qualification, the research units, the institutions of
culture, science and technology and local authorities. Aiming for involvement
broader society, it is also intended to continue the collaboration
with a wide range of participants, namely, associations,
educational services, reading mediators, volunteers, writers, illustrators,
creators, researchers, editors, booksellers, among others who make themselves available
to participate in actions or to promote initiatives.

The PNL 2027 also aims for the consolidation of a partnership policy, with
contributions from patrons and sponsors, as well as from other entities
linked to culture, science, technology, and higher education
considered fundamental for the creation of a favorable social environment for
appreciation of books, reading, and cultural and scientific experience.

CatalogNational Reading Plan (pnl2027.gov.pt)

2.4. Highlight the role of illustration in children's literature

Since in Preschool age the child has not yet acquired the competence of
reading, your only resource will be to 'read' the books through the illustrations that they
they have. Thus, the selection of children's books should be made with some
rigor, so that the child can understand and decipher in the best way the

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that the storyteller is conveying. It is important to take into account the range
age of the children, as well as the characteristics of the group, in order to achieve
adapt the story in the best way to the environment in which it is found or even to the

theme that is intended to be addressed. Thus, according to Massoni, 'the text of

children's books should establish connections with the child's life, the illustration
it can (and should) also develop this role, as a constituent element of
speech." The book should be chosen according to the child's age group and,
as previously mentioned, also according to its characteristics, the
according to Massoni, when executing his intention with the children, the adult
should pay attention to the following aspects: "identification should be facilitated
between the character and the child and must be filled in through reading
of the text, the gaps in understanding of one’s own thinking.” How the
preschool children are illiterate, illustrations play a role
fundamental in children's books, as they are the only way that the child has to
interpret the story and, even if it is being told to you, helps in
continuation of the narrative. The illustrations have various functionalities, such as

how to attract, captivate, stimulate the child's attention, replace the text with
graphic elements, namely filling in gaps or pointing
other hypotheses beyond those mentioned by the narrator and/or characters,
mediate the message of the text, supporting the decoding of meaning,
complement the text, allowing the transfer of various information to
the images, deepen the text, expanding the possibilities of the story and
complicating the plot, alluding to cultural or historical elements.

2.5. Types of illustration

Professors Digolo and Mazrui define the different types of illustration to

based on the techniques used, such as: drawing, painting, printing or
collage. These techniques affect art in various ways, being chosen
the different impacts they reproduce. The choice can be based on
illustration objective, within the limitations of the artist, in cost or in other factors.

Traditional illustration focuses on creation methods that allow its

redistribution and can be classified into different types:

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 Engraving (a set of artistic techniques used to produce images)
from hard supports (plates or blocks of metal, wood, stone,
etc.);
Aguaforte (a modality ofengravingthat is made using a matrix of
metal, usually ofiron, zinc, copper, aluminumortin);
Linoleum printingengravingsimilar towoodcut, in which the image is
cut down inlinoleumand glued to a wooden base);
Lithography (engravingthat involves the creation of brands (or designs)
about amatrix(limestone) with a greasy pencil);
Illustration in pen and ink;
Sumi-e (a mixture of drawing with calligraphy elements);
Woodcut (a printmaking technique that uses wood as the matrix and
allows the reproduction of the image recorded on paper or another medium
adequate support;
Digital illustration (any type of illustration made digitally, in
computer, through software).

The art of telling children's stories with drawings

When it comes to children's audiences, illustrators must be able to see

and knowing how to observe, but above all, finding one's own vision and understanding
themselves as a kind of writers who, instead of words, use
images to tell stories.

What does a children's illustrator do?

Illustrators focused on children's audiences, like any professional who

work by telling stories, have the enormous responsibility of studying them,
transform them into something of your own and find the appropriate visual strategy to do it

from your work — in this case, the drawing — a useful storytelling tool.

Your functions are extremely broad and should be suited to the

interests of an audience with specific characteristics. Therefore,
they are responsible for character design as well as compositions and

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complete framing. The most important challenge is to find a way
to tell these stories effectively and, for that, a very important skill
It is useful to understand the relationship between the text and the traits.

The different target audiences of the children's market

Contrary to what many may think, the children's illustration market is

very large: ranges from newborns to pre-adolescents. Understand
each of these audiences is essential, as only then can the illustrator
adapt your style, as well as use practical and theoretical tools during the
creation.

-0 to 3 years: in this category, the "A-B-C" books also prevail.

known as '1-2-3'. The reading of these books is done by the parents, so the
the playful aspect is of great importance. Thus, its objective is not only
transmit knowledge. It also adopts
playful characteristics, so that children
explore, learn, and have fun with them. It is
common to have sounds, lights, elements
pop-up etc.

ABC and 123 Learning Songs

-3 to 6 years: at this age, children begin to develop their ability

of reading. This target audience can stay sitting for much longer and with the
fixed attention on a single thing for longer periods.
The books created for this audience have illustrations that dominate the pages and,
In this case, the illustration gains relevance in the storytelling effect. How are
books that are often reread more than once, it is common for illustrators
add details and elements that will not be
necessarily captured in the first reading.

The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes

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-7 to 10 years: the most important thing to

contemplate the projects for this audience

it is the fact that the children of this group
they are already independent readers. Because of

In this, the stories are much longer;

the vocabulary and the plot become more
complex and consequently, the text
begins to stand out on the pages and the
illustrations cease to be protagonists
in relation to space, at the same time
what they turn into reproductions
more faithful to reality.

3 - Apply strategies and techniques for storytelling

3.1. Strategies and techniques for storytelling

Storytelling Techniques

The techniques of storytelling for children and activities are

important and should enable meaningful experiences that favor their
learning.

The techniques should be used by the teacher/educator/parents, promoting the

curiosity, playfulness, enchantment, and questioning by children, because,
this is part of the process: the knowledge and exploration of the world by
same.

The children's imagination is placed in representations by the children, which is why

Likewise, storytelling techniques should be used with great care.
property on the part of the teacher, educator or parents and should not be
static and monotonous, but we must use all our creativity.

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At the moment of telling stories, we can fantasize reality and the
children should not be mere spectators, but rather, participate in this
playful moment.

Within a pedagogical proposal, we can observe that they must be

respected the following principles:

Aesthetic: of sensitivity, creativity, playfulness, and freedom of

expression in different artistic and cultural manifestations.

Telling stories broadens children's horizons through all the symbolism and
resources used.

Stories help children in conflict resolution and help them to

understand basic concepts of life and social coexistence. Through the
characters from children's stories, the child recreates their thoughts and
opinions about various situations in your daily life.

Techniques for Telling Stories - Tips

Whoever tells a story must enjoy telling stories and engage with them.
the same. You should imagine each scene of the story, not be afraid to use the

your creativity, not worrying about what others will think.

It is important to organize materials and resources in advance.
visuals.
One should not tell a story in a static and monotonous way, this with
certainly, it will disperse the children and generate frustration.

It is essential to look into the eyes of each child while telling a story.
observe their reactions during the story.
The place where the story is told should also be well chosen to
favor the child's attention.

4 - Apply reading and writing techniques for childhood and

youth

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4.1. Identify educational resources and materials

The educational resource can be any material that is used with

didactic fins, in a certain educational context. That is, a material
that has been used to facilitate learning. However, it is
it is convenient to distinguish educational resource from teaching medium. Therefore, the means

didactic is a material that is built with the purpose of being a

facilitator of the teaching-learning processes. In summary, any
An object or material can be an educational resource, depending on the context.
obviously, the same does not apply to the teaching material. Being
thus the didactic means created with an intentionality, is important then
to know their functions in teaching.

In this follow-up, Graells (2000) systematized a set of functions that

the teaching aids should perform. So according to the author they
must: provide information; be guidelines for the learner's learning;
provide training and exercise of skills; attract interest and
motivate the learner; assess skills and knowledge; provide
simulations with the aim of experimentation, observation and interaction;
create environments/contexts for expression and creation.

Teaching resources can then be various and of the most diverse types.
also, as we can see in Table 1 – Types of Didactic Resources,
which is presented below.

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In the act of storytelling, the book is an essential element, but the
the use of other resources and materials is also very important.
Next, some examples will be presented.

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 Puppets with scenery

Flannelgraph

Shadows Dramatization

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 Storytelling Techniques (google.com)site with other resources and
educational materials.

4.2. Develop educational resource files

1st assessment activity

In order to prepare your animation activity, create a document, in

which you will be able to find various educational resources:

Stories (you can mention only the title, if you have the book or the link, in
if the story is online;
Proverbs (transcribe them to your document)
Riddles (transcribe them to your document);
Lullabies (transcribe them into your document);
Songs (transcribe them to your document and organize a folder with the
audio of the songs or mentions the link to them.

4.3. Organization of a library in the activities room

Every good teaching management needs

know how to organize and maintain a

library, one of the places most

important to the school.

Already said the famous writer Monteiro

Lobato: "A country is made with
men and books". As for the manifesto
The UNESCO for the Public Library (1976, p.158-163) states that 'the
The library is the gateway to knowledge that provides the conditions

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basics for lifelong learning, for decision-making autonomy and
for the cultural development of individuals and social groups.

How is a library organized?

There are several ways to organize a school library. But, before

before we start talking about how this organization works, it is important to highlight
the different functions of these in an educational institution.

The school library can be

defined as a center of
educational resources that
must be integrated into the
process of teaching
school learning. The
the central idea of this venue is
to develop and promote the
reading and the information of
enrolled students.

The collection of a library for early childhood education, elementary education, and teaching.

the average should be differentiated according to the curriculum and the need
what the students, teachers, and the community think of that collection.

This environment should provide for the execution of a series of objectives.

educational, performing different functions, such as:

Educational functions: promotion of reading and research; development

from creativity; education for leisure; information and guidance for the
life.
Cultural functions: promote, in an interdisciplinary way, various
cultural activities in the library space, such as: exhibitions,
literary contests, literary gatherings, science fairs, among others;
in addition to providing information about external cultural activities
to school.

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 Technical functions: manage and organize informational resources;
explore these resources and disseminate them to the school community; facilitate the

access to these resources.

However, unfortunately in many school libraries, these functions

are left aside. This makes them end up being
used inappropriately, turning into mere book deposits.

Cataloging processes

As we mentioned above, there are different ways of cataloging books.

However, the most common and the most used in schools and universities of various
countries is the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), a type of classification
quite technical. To apply this pattern of separation, analysis and recording of
works of your library, it is recommended that a librarian be hired.

If the collection is small, there is no problem in using other processes.

simpler and more generic. In basic level schools and various courses, the
the institution itself can define its rules, as long as this method is
explained to the users.

It is also essential that the collection can be consulted in a way

electronics, in a digital era, it is unacceptable to manage this resource in a
analog, in addition to being much more complicated.

How to define organization criteria

The collection of a library can be made up not only of books but also
through different types of media, such as newspapers, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, etc.
Thus, one can choose a more personalized method of organization.
library. The ideal is always to try to apply it within what makes the most sense
for the institution.

If your school is focused on early childhood education, for example, it makes sense that
the books are separated by interest and age group. But if it is to create the
library for a specific course, books can be separated by subject.

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Regardless of the chosen criterion, it is of utmost importance to create a
external memory, such as catalogs, databases or other mechanisms for
that there is efficient control of the collection that allows for finding in an effective manner

quickly or the item that is needed.

Loan Policy

Once the library is organized, it's time to decide how it will operate. For
it is important to have clear rules covering points such as:

Prohibit writing, taking notes in books, or damaging them in any way;

The limit of copies borrowed at once;
Maximum loan period and maximum number of renewals
allowed;
System and criteria for reserving copies;
Penalties for noncompliance with each rule.

At the time of user registration, it is very important that they are aware of the
rules before requesting any work in the library. For this, it is worth positioning
posters in strategic locations.

In addition to the book request rules, highlight the rules during use of the
library, such as:

Maintain silence;
Do not answer or speak on the mobile phone;

Establish time limits in the study rooms;

Restriction regarding food inside the library
Always keep the shelves tidy

What is the point of having everything properly cataloged if at the end of each day the

Are the shelves out of order? The employee responsible for the library
needs to be in charge of daily walking the halls and checking
which specimens are out of place.

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This same employee will be responsible for re-shelving the returned books.
in its proper place on the shelf. The teachers can also help with this.
organization: guiding students to keep the library always in order
so that the titles can be easily found and the organizer's work
to be duly respected.

Conclusion

It is a consensus among educators that academic performance flows better

when the school has a dynamic library and that this is part of an education
of quality.

Since schools are a space of permanent learning, it is more than

It is necessary for both students and teachers to be able to benefit from the
good things that exist there and together develop their potential.

This helps the school community to grow. Besides making this place a
source of experience, exercise of citizenship and lifelong learning.

2nd assessment activity

Objective - Organization and dynamization of a library in the activity room.

In order to prepare your animation activity, you should organize a

library with the remaining members of the class.

1st step - gathering books, educational material;

2nd step - cataloging the material;

3rd step - exposure of the material.

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5 – Plan and produce an animation activity

3rd activity – final assessment

Now, you are ready to plan and implement an activity of

animation, related to the content covered in the UFCD.

1st step - Establish the age range

Step 2 - Recall the Techniques for storytelling and strategies

of attention

3rd step - Identify educational resources and materials (make use of the...
files of previously compiled educational resources

4th step – Organize the activity (space, material, etc.)

5th step – Put the activity into practice

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