The Importance of Teaching Literature

THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING LITERATURE disadvantage.
The same goes for Shakespeare’s dramas,

and for the novels of early American writers. Current
written by: Haley Drucker • edited by: Laurie books and movies, among other works, often reference
Patsalides • updated: 7/30/2015 older texts. Without a working knowledge of those
older texts, you can’t understand the new ones as fully
Most people assume literature is an important part of
as possible.
education. But not everyone really thinks about why
that is. The importance of literature on teaching lies in Expanding Horizons
its ability to foster critical reading, build valuable skills,
and expand students' worldviews. Everyone has a tendency to get so caught up in their
own lives that they forget what’s going on in the world
Literature in the Classroom around them. And children and teens are particularly
prone to this. It’s a goal of education to expose them to
In today’s fact-obsessed culture, the importance of
ideas from other cultures, to teach them about the
literature on teaching and the classroom is sometimes
histories and peoples of other times and places.
questioned. Why bother Teaching Literature
Literature is an ideal way to do this. Huckleberry Finn,
having kids read stories, spend their time with books for example, puts students into the mind of a boy living
about things and events that aren’t even real? Why not in the south in the 1800s, letting them experience his
just teach them what they need to know and send them life firsthand. Through this experience they learn what it
on their way? was like to live in that time period, how the people
talked and thought and acted.
Of course, to most educators these questions seem
ludicrous. Of course literature is important—why would The same goes for books about other countries, which
it have such a central place in the curriculum if it teach students what life is like in other parts of the
wasn’t? But you may not realize in just how many ways world. It’s more engaging to read a novel about another
literature really does contribute to a child’s education. time or place than to learn about it in a lecture or from
Because education is and should be about more than a textbook. The Diary of Ann Frank is a great example of
passing on dry information; it’s also about fostering this effect, since it exposes students American students
critical thinking skills and an understanding of the world to both a country and time period not their own (and
around us. most likely a nationality and religion as well).
Cultural Value Building Vocabulary
Stories have been of central importance to the human Having a large and wide-ranging vocabulary is essential
race ever since it began, as far as we can tell. Cultures for a number of reasons. It helps with both writing and
are built on stories—histories, myths and legends, reading abilities, of course, but it also allows for more
fables, religions, and so on. If students are to complex discourse. The larger your vocabulary is, the
understand and participate in the culture to which they more in depth and thoughtful discussions you can have
belong, they must first learn about the stories that on important topics and issues, both in and outside of
culture has been built around. And while books aren’t the classroom. When people speak they tend to use a
the only kinds of stories out there, they are one of the fairly limited vocabulary, so the best way to become
most important. exposed to new words is to read.
Take the Bible, for instance. Despite concerns about

religion in schools, it is commonly taught in some form
or another because it has so heavily influenced our And reading literature is a great way to build and
enhance vocabulary. Due to the descriptive nature of a
culture. References and allusions to biblical stories are
all around us, so not knowing those stories puts you at a story, any novel will include plenty of words students
have likely never seen or heard before. They’ll see those
words in context, learning their meanings passively in a novel, the themes it presents, the author’s purpose
rather than having to drill. And because they’re reading in writing it, and the ways it fits into a certain time
a story and not drilling, they probably won’t even period. You can also analyze its impact on society and
realize they are building their vocabulary (hence they the ways it compares and contrasts with other texts.
won’t be able to complain about it). Few activities give students’ critical abilities such a
workout as the close reading of a work of literature.
Improving Writing Skills
And Many More…
Writing skills can be taught, to some extent. But the
number one way to become a better writer is to read This is hardly an exhaustive list, of course. But these are
often. When you read you are being immersed in some of the most essential reasons why literature is so
language, in the way it sounds and feels when put important to education and why it should remain at the
together in the right ways. Students who are heart of the curriculum. Literature takes students out of
encouraged to read have a more intimate knowledge of their own lives and lets them experience things that are
the ways in which language works, and so have an new and challenging, and encourages them to imagine
advantage when it comes time for them to write. This possibilities and to think about ways the world could be
effect can even be made transparent by encouraging different. Few textbooks could be said to do the same
students to try writing in a particular book or author's thing.
style.
Many older works of literature are still taught primarily

because of their authors’ way with language. Novels
such as The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, and The
Catcher in the Rye are noted for their unique style and
creativity with language. And there are plenty of more
recent novels that are just as well written. Literature
serves as a valuable teacher and an example to students
who are first learning to use written language to
communicate with the world.
Teaching Critical Thinking
Education is supposed to give students the tools they

need to become a valuable part of society, and one such
tool is the ability to think critically. We want them to
not just passively consume whatever is around them,
but to analyze and criticize it as well. Literature serves
this goal in a couple of ways. Many novels encourage
critical thinking on their own, due to the issues and
themes they explore. The kind of novel usually taught in
the classroom is selected for its depth and for the way it
transcends the obvious and the cliché.
And educators often use literature to promote this kind

of thought actively, by teaching students how to
analyze what they read, understand others’ opinions
about the text, and formulate their own views. You can
learn to think critically about the events and characters

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THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING LITERATURE disadvantage.

The same goes for Shakespeare’s dramas,

Cultural Value Building Vocabulary

Take the Bible, for instance. Despite concerns about

Many older works of literature are still taught primarily

Teaching Critical Thinking

Education is supposed to give students the tools they

And educators often use literature to promote this kind

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