| Fun with a purpose is a real help in educating | | | | the soft hum of the Fireflies that grew and grew |
| children. It makes learning so much more | | | | around her, exploding from their hidden places, |
| attractive. Everyone has a good idea about what | | | | surrounding her with hot brightness, fire light, |
| is fun and what isn't. The same cannot be as | | | | scalding her with dazzling, brilliant, blinding |
| easily said about literature. How accomplished | | | | brightness, enveloping her in such sparkling |
| need writing be to qualify. With regard to children | | | | radiance that she cringed, folded herself into a |
| the question may be asked whether there is a | | | | desolate parody of greatness, and crumpled to |
| category of writing that could be considered | | | | the ground, spent of her power, slack with |
| literature in the real sense of the word. Are | | | | defeat.' |
| children capable of engaging with an expression of | | | | This, most likely, is the longest sentence in the |
| language that meets literary requirements? The | | | | story. It also introduces the most words in one |
| answer to that question is a resounding 'Yes!' But | | | | sequence including a lot of not frequently used |
| how often is such an engagement actually offered | | | | ones. It's not the only place where 'difficult' words |
| to a child? Far too sporadically, I believe. | | | | are to be found in the Eloise adventure. Such |
| Titles like Alice in Wonderland, Peter Rabbit and | | | | words are scattered throughout the text. Overall |
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe come to | | | | there are well over a hundred words in the story |
| mind when considering children's literature. From | | | | that children would be less familiar with, or would |
| books to be read and told these now have | | | | haven't come across at all. |
| become movies and DVD's to be watched. From | | | | The most pertinent question is, whether the |
| words that introduce a child to good language that | | | | occasional use of more adult language in an |
| stirs the imagination this fine literature has | | | | exciting story creates difficulties for the children, |
| become a sequence of images and sound effects. | | | | or whether they just take it on board. The latter |
| It needs no Einstein to conclude that somewhere | | | | is the case. If the story is exciting children will |
| there is a loss for modern children and their | | | | happily be exposed to richly descriptive language |
| development. How many children these days have | | | | and will benefit greatly. Their minds and |
| the opportunity to listen to a quality story being | | | | imagination will actively create for them what's |
| well told while becoming entranced by what is | | | | happening. They will experience some of the joys |
| happening merely through the medium of the | | | | of language that has been so central to education |
| spoken word? It will be few and they will be the | | | | in the history of human learning. If the language |
| ones who will more easily express themselves | | | | used is discussed a little, the benefits will be even |
| later in life and may find the joys a good book | | | | greater. |
| can bring to the soul. They are the lucky ones. | | | | Good fun makes literature accessible to children. |
| Allow me to quote a sentence from Eloise, the | | | | That has been known for generations. This fun |
| Witch and the Wordsmith, a recently released | | | | needs to be inherent in a story, but can be |
| multimedia story that uses narrative as | | | | expanded beyond that. A good story usually has |
| communication with the occasional illustration in | | | | bearing on life in some way. That's a treasure of |
| support. The spoken word is central in the two | | | | exceptional wealth. As mentioned, this wealth is |
| hour presentation which children are able to listen | | | | becoming less accessible in modern days. The |
| to without any loss of concentration. Here comes | | | | children of this world deserve better, an |
| the sentence. | | | | educational exercise that doesn't look like one. |
| 'The Witch was so filled with her thoughts of | | | | Isn't that the best kind of learning? |
| vanquishing the Wordsmith that she didn't hear | | | | |