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What would the world be without Shakespeare? Or TS Eliot? What about Shelagh Delaney? Dickens? The list goes on and on of course but the fact is that without the greats of English Literature, our culture, our entertainment and our education would all be very much poorer.
Introducing children to the greatest writers of all time is an immensely pleasurable thing. This prep school in Hertfordshire uses a number of creative means when it comes to engaging pupils in literature from the earliest years. But if you’re passionate about literature then your child’s journey can begin even before your child even attends school.
As children learn to extract pleasure, excitement, peace and entertainment from works of literary art, their world expands, their vocabulary grows and their understanding of the world and the people in it, matures. Here are some ideas for books to introduce your younger children to. These books will help prepare their minds for more sophisticated works:
From around age 8, the following make great bedtime reading:
- Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
- Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
- Stig of the Dump by Clive King
- Five Children and It by E. Nesbit
- The Railway Children by E. Nesbit
- The Family from One End Street by Eve Garnett
- A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
- The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Of course, this is just a tiny sample of the children’s literature that’s available. There are many brilliant authors from a variety of eras out there. The great thing about reading books from different eras is that children also gain insight into social history at the same time as enjoying a great story. Make bedtime stories a habit, an institution even. A story in bed should be as much a part of your child’s routine as tooth brushing. English Literature’s place in education is as secure as that of mathematics or science – it’s absolutely vital.
