Who’s Christopher Robin? - The Importance of Classic Children’s Literature
Who’s Christopher Robin?
This was a question that I was asked a few times a couple of weeks ago. As you may know, the beginning of March brings with is World Book Day - a long established part of the school calendar. It’s a great opportunity for families and schools to celebrate books throughout the ages, and gives an excuse for dressing up as some of your favourite characters. Now, I am not someone who enjoys dressing up in costume and will actively seek any excuse to avoid doing so. But there are occasions where one just has to bite the bullet and join in, so a simple costume was required. After much deliberation, I decided to go dressed up at Christopher Robin, and so shorts and t-shirt were assembled (although that lasted for around two hours due to the freezing temperatures!) and the families toys of various Winnie the Pooh characters were gathered together.
I was pretty pleased with the result, and I’m delighted to say my colleagues were able to recognise my character without me having to give endless clues. But when I did my usual trip around the school to talk to the children, it was a very different story. Many (but not all) recognised the friends I had brought along, but as to their owner, they were completely stumped. Even after explaining who he was, most admitted to have never hearing of him. I was really very surprised, and when told my father about this, he was incensed!
Now, I’m not saying that every child should have an in-depth knowledge of Winnie the Pooh and the works of A.A. Milne (although I would highly recommend it!), but many parents are not aware of the growing importance of classic children’s literature in the modern curriculum. Yes, there are many excellent modern children’s stories by imaginative and highly entertaining authors, but there are some concepts that children can only learn from stories written at a different time.
One such example is that children gain a greater awareness of how life has changed over the years. They may well ask why the Famous Five are always having to find their fun outside instead of staying in and playing online games together, before realising that it wasn’t an option in those days. Similarly, stories set in a specific period of history (e.g. Oliver Twist) can teach them more about life in that time than many history lessons could - as they gain a greater empathy with the characters, they begin to connect with their lives and understand the challenges they face.
Additionally, many of these books use language and vocabulary that isn’t as commonly used today, and reading it in context of a story can help children learn and understand these words, thereby increasing their vocabulary. The 11+ and private school entrance exams as well as the SATS have frequently used classic literature in their reading sections to really test the children’s comprehension of the story and the language, and those who have had a greater experience reading these kinds of stories are more likely to gain the best marks.
But perhaps most importantly of all, it is wonderful to share the stories with which you grew up with the next generation. Children love to hear what their parents and teachers read when they were children - they feel more connected to them and enjoy the bonding experience. They can hear the passion and enthusiasm in our voice when you read it to them, and realise its importance when you are asking them about the story and how much they have been able to read independently. Children love having books recommended to them by other people, especially by parents and teachers. The mere fact that you have suggested this book to them gives them a confidence that the story is enjoyable, and if it is one you read as a child then they will want to emulate that for themselves.
As I have mentioned before, a broad range of books is the key to ensuring your child’s development in reading and writing. So make sure they are reading books by the next generation of exciting and engaging authors, but don’t neglect the wonderful stories from your childhood and stretching even further back. After all, it is helping them gain an understanding of our literary heritage, and perhaps there will be a day when they sit their own children down and tell them all about the wonderful stories you shared during their childhood.
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