Debate: Should Children's Literature Improve Morale and Character?

This essay presents a debate on the purpose of children's literature, specifically focusing on whether its primary goal should be to improve the morale and character of young readers. The essay introduces the concept of character teaching as a curriculum designed to instill positive traits in children, citing Almerico (2014) and Gavin (2012) to support the idea that literature is an effective tool for teaching values like honesty, courage, and kindness. It highlights the importance of integrating literature with character development, as cautioned by Jamison (2013). The essay also emphasizes the role of literature in enhancing imagination and promoting teamwork, as well as its ability to provide lessons on reading skills and social studies, as stated by NCSS (Miller, 2013). However, it acknowledges the counter-argument that some literature may have negative impacts, as noted by Agboola and Tsai (2012), stressing the need for careful evaluation of children's literature.

Debate on Children’s
Literature

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPIC: CHILDREN’S LITERATURE SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO IMPROVING MORALE
AND CHARACTER OF READER.................................................................................................1
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

TOPIC: CHILDREN’S LITERATURE SHOULD BE DEVOTED TO
IMPROVING MORALE AND CHARACTER OF READER.
Character teaching is termed as curriculum which is specifically created to provide
learning to children about quality and traits of a good character. With high quality, pages of
literature is analysed as a way through which reader will be able to learn about good character.
As per Almerico, (2014), characteristics of a positive character formulation program for grades
K6 built around children's literature. It is defined as a material written and development for
providing education to reader about good character and increasing their knowledge on different
topics. It involves all non-fiction, literary, artistic genres and physical formats.
According to Gavin, (2012), children's writing needs to be devoted towards improvement
of morale and character of readers because it helps them in realizing traits such as honesty,
courage as well as kindness. Integration of literature is an interesting way to teach readers about
positive character traits but Jamison, (2013) caution only if it is done by keeping character
development at centre of curriculum and literary study. Good and effective literature including
themes of character development has ability to create, shape and strengthen dispositions
significant for installing core and ethical values among the students. Further, the creation of an
effective character themed lessons which is combination of high quality effective and appropriate
literature of children with wonderful literacy instruction will be a daunting task. Proper thematic
and colour educational books will attract the students to learn and encourage them towards career
development and logical thinking (Zipes, 2013).
Authors have stated that literature tends to improve the imaginary power of reader and
enables them to attain their goals. Some literatures also provide motivation to children as it
contains stories and poems which tends to encourage them towards team work. Every literature
is accompanied by lessons that gives explicit instructions in research based reading skills such as
fluency, reading comprehension, word recognition and vocabulary. Good literature for children
includes social studies and skills, involves authentic examples who work, live, play, endure and
flourish in the large part due to the values they possess. As per NCSS (national council for the
social studies), children's literature improves the morale of readers as it emphasises on human
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relations, diversity and sensitivity towards a wide range of topics related to the social studies
(Miller, 2013).
They also stated that extensive annotated literatures will tend to develop the positive
character among students. Lessons involved in books involved activities in classrooms which
require children to use critical thinking skills to express their ideas as well as perspectives
through relating personal experiences to themes of story. On contrary to this, Agboola and Tsai,
(2012) has said that there are some literature also which create the negative perceptive and
character among the students. Offensive type of literature tends to create aggressive nature
among the children and demotivate them towards studies. Thus, it is essential for teachers and
parents to evaluate effective and positive literature to develop the students.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Agboola, A. and Tsai, K. C., 2012. Bring Character Education into Classroom. European journal
of educational research. 1(2). pp.163-170.
Almerico, G. M., 2014. Building Character through Literacy with Children's Literature. Research
in Higher Education Journal. Pp.26.
Gavin, A. E., 2012. The child in British literature: an introduction. In The Child in British
Literature (pp. 1-18). Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Jamison, A., 2013. Children's susceptible minds: Alicia Lefanu and the" reasoned imagination"
in Georgian children's literature. Studies in Romanticism. 52(4). pp.585-609.
Miller, C. B., 2013. Moral character: An empirical theory. Oxford University Press.
Zipes, J., 2013. Sticks and stones: The troublesome success of children's literature from Slovenly
Peter to Harry Potter. Routledge.
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