Literature

What can match the pleasure of reading a great book? It knows no seasonal limit; it doesn't require money if you use your public library; it's portable; it requires no one but yourself (though it can be also be enjoyed with others); it stirs the imagination, gives you fresh ideas, and redirects how you think about old ones; it offers information; and on and on. The more books your child is exposed to, the richer his or her life will be.

Literary genres from the
fiction and non-fiction category.

By second and third grade, your child is exposed to a wide range of literary genre (types), including these from the fiction category: fantasy, historical fiction, drama/plays, humor, poetry, mystery, science fiction, folktales, fables, and myths. And from the nonfiction category, your child will be exposed to these: biographies, autobiographies, how-to articles, newspapers, magazines, poetry, and functional pieces such as train schedules and instructional manuals.

The importance of reading as a model for writing is a connection that second and third graders begin to make for themselves. Their understanding of different genre is reflected in their being able to write stories that contain the characteristics of those genre.

As children read more, they are naturally exposed to a range of literary techniques. Being able to understand and interpret both the actual words in a passage and the meaning behind them are skills that receive a lot of attention at this age.

For example, authors know that rhyme, rhythm, and repetition are very effective in capturing children's attention. Even most adults can spout at least one verse of a Dr. Suess story!

Sometimes writers use figurative language, that is, words or phrases that do not mean exactly what they say. Here are several kinds:

 

compare two unlike things that are alike in one way using the words like or as. For example:

—My science teacher has a voice like a tuba.

compare unlike things without using the words like or as. Writers use metaphors to look at an object or idea in a new way. Here's one:

—The trees on the hillside were a colorful, patchwork quilt on the sunny autumn day.

—where a writer makes an animal or object seem like a person—is a very popular technique for picture books, early readers, and any sort of fable. Most likely, both you and your child already know this one.

By second and third grade, your child will be reading selections by authors from all over the world and from different time periods—the idea being that they learn about multicultural backgrounds, experiences, emotions, and ideas different from their own. This is an important and great practice since it provides an occasion for children to experience and appreciate other cultures firsthand.

Children this age begin to appreciate that real people are involved in writing books and drawing the pictures that illustrate them. They may decide that they like everything a certain author has written or try to copy an illustrator's style when publishing their own works.

Capitalize on your child's interest in reading by taking frequent trips to a library or a bookstore so he or she can begin to build a personal book collection.

 

Taken from www.kz.com