Introduction
The importance of literature in intellectual development has generated discussions among various educational stakeholders and policy-makers (Sumara, 2002). What clearly emerges is that exposing children to the many different works of literature enhances their intellectual world-views and linguistic skills (Flint, Lowe, Kitson, & Shaw, 2013). To this end, various educational psychologists suggest that literature is an ‘‘eye opener.’’ Other than its role in phonological and vocabulary development, the study of literature enables young learners to nurture new ideas and moral stand-points (Chera & Wood, 2003). In fact, literature enhances children’s capabilities to appreciate languages and their contexts of literacy.
Literature and Linguistic Skills
To begin with, studying a work of literature heightens the developmental process of a child’s linguistic skills (Chera & Wood, 2003). While in-depth study of books has attracted only a few people even in the most developed countries, the realization that it enhances a child’s vocabulary has led to policies aimed at making children into to be active readers (Sumara, 2002). Due to the ‘‘new’’ words frequently employed by authors, most children’s linguistic competencies get better whenever they read literary works (Flint et al., 2013). Furthermore, any historical work of literature exposes young children to the philosophical suggestions that were popular in a particular society at a specific time (Campbell, Tompkins, & Green, 2012).
Literature Enhances Constructive Criticism Capabilities
In addition, exposing children to interesting works of literature enhances their unconscious ‘‘love’’ of related issues. Whenever children and teenagers get exposed to an ‘‘intriguing’’ literary work, they develop interests to look for more reading materials or studying a related issue (Flint et al., 2013). Moreover, computer-based reading programs enhance a child’s phonological knowledge and reading skills (Henke, 2001). While the relationship between computer-mediated technologies and reading has not been investigated sufficiently, a computer-addicted child is more likely to ‘‘hop’’ from one e-book website to the other (Chera & Wood, 2003).
Although this ‘‘multi-screening’’ may be a prevalent crisis, it seems to be a suitable way of reading diverse texts and accessing various works of arts at the same time (Henke, 2001). In any case, many new works of literature are encouraging young readers to delve into more published facts for purposes of language-acquisition and enhancing intellectual abilities (Campbell, Tompkins, & Green, 2012).
Literature and the Social Environment
In addition, a work of literature on any social issue may influence how children respond to the demands of their learning environments. According to Annandale (2005), children’s cognitive abilities develop rapidly whenever they discuss the purposes of a text. For instance, a story that exposes the effects of laziness in schools may influence a child’s unconscious resolve to be punctual and critical. Furthermore, children who find solace in deviant tendencies may reverse their habits when a piece of literature dissuades their intellect from such trends. More important is that some works of literature encourage a shared and interactive reading trend among children (Sumara, 2002).
Younger learners and children who are driven by views expressed in a story become more comfortable to deduce language elements such as punctuation marks and words (Campbell, Tompkins, & Green, 2012). In the end, their resolve to appreciate intellectual and linguistic contents is heightened.
Conclusion
Taken together, the growing importance of literature in learning and children’s linguistic development is unlikely to be averted. The scope of learning which is heightened by the need for intellectual reasoning and improved language skills has made literary works necessary for children’s educational processes. Conceivably, literary works and computer-mediated reading programs help children to develop insights into their contexts just as their language-acquisition abilities are improved.
References
Annandale, K. (2005). Reading map of development: Addressing current literacy challenges. Melbourne: Rigby Heinemann. Web.
Chera, P., & Wood, C. (2003). Animated multimedia talking books can promote phonological awareness in children beginning to read. Learning and Instruction, 13 (1), 33-52. Web.
Campbell, R., Tompkins, G., & Green, D. (2012). Literacy for the 21st century: A balanced approach. London: Prentice Hall. Web.
Flint, A., Lowe, K., Kitson, L., & Shaw, K. (2013). Literacy in Australia: Pedagogies for engagement. London: Wiley and Sons. Web.
Henke, H. (2001). Electronic books and publishing. New York: Springer. Web.
Sumara, D. (2002). Why reading literature in school still matters: Imagination, interpretation and insight. Los Angeles: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Web.