When selecting the stories to read to children, teachers need to be very careful. This is because the minds of children are still developing. Furthermore, children are impressionable and lack the capacity to make decisions independently. Therefore, it is vital for teachers to make considerations for these issues when selecting the stories. A criterion for story selection has been developed to ensure that the stories that teachers select are appropriate and beneficial. Using this criterion, teachers are able to meaningfully contribute to the development of children.
Criteria for selecting a story
As noted above, it is important for teachers to ensure that the books that they select are appropriate and deliver benefits to children. To achieve this, teachers should rely on a criterion which identifies the factors that teachers should consider when selecting books. One criterion for book selection is offering children motivational and challenging experiences (“Criteria for Selecting”, n.d). As they select books, teachers should ensure that these books allow children to experience new challenges and to obtain motivation. It is also vital for the teachers to match these experiences with the age and social situations of children. The second criterion concerns appropriate responses. The books that teachers select should be such that they elicit critical and personal responses from the children (“Criteria for Selecting”, n.d). A book that elicits such responses allows for the intellectual growth of children. A book that makes use of different styles and literary forms is another criterion. A wide range of styles and literary forms enables teachers to ensure that the books that they select attend to the different needs and preferences of the children. Literary merit is another criterion for selecting books (“Criteria for Selecting”, n.d). A book that a teacher selects should be more than just pages with text. Teachers should ensure that the books they select possess literary value and contribute to the development of children. The fifth criterion that should guide teachers as they select books is effective and appropriate use of language (“Criteria for Selecting”, n.d). The books need to be written in languages that are easy to understand and appropriate to the age of the concerned children. Perhaps the most important criterion is ensuring that the selected books account for the different ages, gender, religion and ethnicity of children.
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Stories from different categories
Stories fall in a number of different categories. According to Foster Harris (1959), there are three main categories of stories. These are happy ending, unhappy ending and literary plot (Harris, 1959). The happy ending stories are those in which a character makes sacrifices for the sake of another. In stories with unhappy endings, the main character suffers failure and tragedy. The defining feature of stories with literary plots is that the main events take place at the beginning and fate plays a very important role. The following are examples of the different types of stories: Happy ending: The Ugly Duckling, Hans Christian Andersen Unhappy ending: The Bunker Diary, Kevin Brook Literary plot: Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Process of presenting story to class
When preparing to present stories to learners, teachers should aim to make the stories interesting. They should prepare adequately in order to expand the minds of the children while delivering vital insights. The following list contains some of the steps that teachers typically go through as they prepare to present stories: The teacher should ensure that the story is humorous and engaging It is also important to establish that the students will love the story The teacher must also confirm that the story is appropriate The teacher should select the best method of delivery. Here, the teacher needs to determine if they should tell the story, allow the children to read the story individually or instruct the children to read the story in groups Before telling the story, the teacher needs to gain their attention The teacher should borrow from their personal experiences as they tell the story The list above is not exhaustive and can be expanded to include other steps that a teacher finds necessary for an engaging and effective story telling session.
References
Criteria for Selecting Children’s Literature. (n.d). Retrieved 3rd January 2018 from http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/curriculum/documents/english/biblio46/criteria_for_selecting_childrens_literature.pdf Harris, F. (1959). The Basic Patterns of Plot. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
