Children’s Literature Reflection
Heather Sherry
ECE 335 Children’s Literature
Michelle Otstot
September 29, 2025
Children’s literature is an excellent resource in the classroom and can be beneficial in many different ways. Teaching children to read is the most obvious; however, the ways that children can benefit from quality children’s literature go far beyond just learning to read. Through quality children’s literature, children can learn about themselves and the world around them, as well as critical thinking, social-emotional, and cognitive skills. Children’s literature can also foster imagination and creativity.
There are several considerations to be taken into account when choosing which children’s books to use in the classroom. Together, all of these considerations are important; however, there are two that should be first in the process of choosing a book.
The first consideration should be whether or not the book is developmentally appropriate for the children it is being introduced to. Any literature introduced in the classroom should meet the children where they are, should be able to be understood, and should offer valid and valuable learning opportunities for the intended listeners or readers. If the chosen book does not meet this criterion, the children will not benefit from it, and it may actually hinder the development of their interest in reading.
The second consideration should be whether the book’s message and illustrations will capture student interest. Children are much more likely to learn an intended lesson or message if they are engaged in the learning. This can be achieved by incorporating books that have illustrations that draw their attention and fun, interesting, and relatable characters. The concepts presented in the book should also be relatable to the intended listeners or readers. Once these two criteria are met, other considerations, including diversity, how the book's concepts fit into the current curriculum, how the book meets the desired goals of the lesson, and others, should be evaluated. “The criteria for quality in children's books must include such aspects as children's preferences and developmental appropriateness of the content and its presentation, as well as the aesthetic qualities of the book, which include the beauty and emotional qualities of the artwork, story, and language use (Coats, 2013)”. Children’s literature books can be used in small groups during circle time to teach children social-emotional lessons, either through the content of the book or by encouraging children to learn together, interact, and discuss the book's content in group activities.
Along with social-emotional lessons, such as working and learning together and managing big emotions, children’s literature can be used individually and in groups to teach cognitive skills. Educators can use books to teach early math, science, history, and social studies skills.
With the wide array of quality children’s literature books, there are almost always books that tie into the classroom curriculum or a thematic unit. This allows children to make cross-curricular connections, presents multiple methods of learning, and provides repetition of ideas to help children remember content.
Children’s literature is made up of several different genres, including poetry, contemporary realistic fiction, fairy tales, folk tales, picture books, science fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, biography, autobiography, and historical fiction. Each of these genres encourages critical thinking skills, creativity, and imagination by inspiring children to think about things in different ways, create their own stories and illustrations, and imagine different places and situations. No matter the genre, "Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books. (Bishop, 1990)."
Quality, culturally diverse children’s literature allows students to see themselves and their cultures portrayed in the books, giving them the knowledge that their culture and backgrounds are important and accepted. "When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part. Our classrooms need to be places where all the children from all the cultures that make up the salad bowl of American society can find their mirrors (Bishop, 1990)." Children’s literature is also widely available in bilingual versions or in languages other than English. This can be used as a valuable tool and resource for dual language learners, showing them that their culture and language are valued. The use of bilingual versions of books also allows them to compare words from their home language with the corresponding English word. Additionally, the use of culturally and linguistically diverse books teaches English-speaking children about inclusion and the idea that there are multiple ways of communicating.
In today’s world, with the prevalence of digital information, media, and our reliance on technology, digital media can be a very helpful tool for teaching and learning and can open up a world of resources beyond what is available in the classroom. E-books, audiobooks, podcasts, apps, and websites are just some of the resources that children can access to find important, valuable, relevant, relatable, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate tools for learning.
Due to the fact that “about half of the population, including 70 percent of people between the ages of 5 and 24, are online (Değirmenci Gündoğmuş & Aksaray University, 2024)”, and because of rapid technological changes and developments, “it is very important to teach children digital literacy skills, which also means understanding and using it appropriately, in order to shape the future of societies robustly (Değirmenci Gündoğmuş & Aksaray University, 2024)”. Much of today’s business, correspondence, learning, research, data management, and other work and daily activities take place on digital platforms such as websites, internet browsers, and digital apps. This makes digital literacy and media an essential part of a child’s learning to help them learn, function, and compete in today’s digital world. Teaching children about the digital media resources that are available and how they can be used safely and appropriately can help children, teachers, and families access media that enhances learning, addresses all learning areas, and represents all cultures as well as diversity.
Along with the vast amount of resources available with digital media and its usefulness in teaching children digital literacy, it also provides access to literacy materials for children and families who have limited access to books. With access to digital media, all children and families can find books and apps that suit their culture, language, and interests. In this way, all children can see themselves represented in the books, thereby fostering literacy, a love of reading, early research skills, and many other learning areas contained within the content of the media. There are also many apps available that promote learning in all areas of content, and many that are designed to help children who are struggling.
When selecting, using, and evaluating children’s literature, it is essential to incorporate best practices. Educators must evaluate criteria such as whether the literature engages children through the use of high-quality illustrations, including colors and pictures on the cover and within the book, that invite the child to continue through the book. It must also be well-written and use appropriate language, such as rhyming, repetition, and expressive language. Quality children’s literature should also have interesting and relevant themes that connect to the currently desired teaching goals in the classroom, such as thematic units, allowing for cross-curriculum connections. Children’s literature in the classroom should also represent and value diversity in an authentic manner, allowing all children to feel valued and seen, as well as teaching all children that it is alright to be unique.
Educators can encourage family engagement by recommending and sharing resources with families. “Research presented by the National Center for Education Statistics has proven that family engagement is one of the most important factors of literacy development, and that children enter kindergarten at a higher reading level when they have a positive learning environment at home. When literary success is highly encouraged and supported by the family, children are more likely to want to read, enjoy reading, and excel in all areas of academics (Stinchcomb, 2017).” With so many resources available through libraries and digital sources, educators and families have access to a wide array of quality books, games, and helpful information that can foster a child’s learning. When educators share literature and media resources with families, they strengthen the partnership between themselves and the family and promote family engagement. They also take the burden off busy families in finding safe, quality resources by using their knowledge in early childhood education to research and suggest the best resources. Educators can share resources with families through email and classroom websites, providing families with the ease of one-click access to the provided resource.
When children experience the thoughtful use of quality children’s literature through books and digital media in the classroom and at home through family engagement, they are provided with an enjoyable means of learning not only literacy, language, and vocabulary, but also critical thinking, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. They are able to see themselves and their background in books with diverse characters, as well as learn about the world around them. Quality children’s literature also promotes imagination, creativity, and a love of reading and learning that can last a lifetime.
References
Bishop, R.S. (1990). Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors. https://nyslibrary.libguides.com/dei/mirrors
Coats, K. (2013). Children’s literature & the developing reader. Bridgepoint Education.
Değirmenci Gündoğmuş, H. & Aksaray University. (2024). Digital literacy for children: An overview. In African Educational Research Journal (Vols. 12–2, pp. 85–88) [Journal-article]. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.122.24.018
Stinchcomb, S. (2017, Nov. 2). Resources to Support Family Literacy. Literacy Now. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2017/11/02/resources-to-support-family-literacy