Early Childhood Digest: Children's Lit Edition
Over the weekend, I found myself at my local used bookstore. It was rainy, and the store was crowded as I approached the large children's section. Sitting cross-legged in the aisle, flipping through pages of children's books, I felt disappointed. In the shelves stuffed with children's books, I only found two I knew would be engaging to share with a small group of kindergarteners. I also wondered if the folks writing for young children have spent much time reading with them or know anything about their interests or development. Most books used cheap tricks, using the silliest language possible to lure children to the page. Many books that told beautiful stories with beautiful illustrations were too long to hold the attention of a 5-6-year-old child, let alone a younger child.
Children love simple books about regular life. They don't need silliness to draw them in. Young children have a deep interest in the real world around them, and many stories written for children use fantasy and imagination. Dr. Montessori proposed that the best stories for children under six are grounded in reality to support their concrete thinking. Many find this aspect of Montessori education to stifle children's imaginations. Dr. Montessori found that giving children stories and experiences based on reality strengthens the imagination in the later stages of childhood. The idea is that the more concrete experiences a child has in early childhood, the stronger their creativity will be as they grow. This research article, co-authored by Dr. Angeline Lillard, looks at fantasy-based play and Dr. Montessori's writings about fantasy not supporting child development and asks the question: what if Dr. Montessori was right?