Undergraduate Course: Children's Fiction (EDUA10052)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This option will draw on students' existing knowledge of children's and adults' fiction to explore children's fiction and will introduce a range of theoretical perspectives in relation to the study and analysis of a variety of texts used with children at the different stages in the Primary school. Issues such as marketing and culture, the selection of appropriate texts, gender and its effect on young readers and reluctant readers will be considered. Students will use a critical approach as they examine and evaluate the literary and linguistic techniques employed by different writers to manipulate language for different purposes and to create particular effects. This approach will provide a model for considering what constitutes meaningful language activities in response to the reading of fictional texts and will be underpinned by current thinking and research into effective learning and teaching. |
| Course description |
The Children's Fiction elective is designed to build on the prior learning of students in The Curriculum and Pedagogy Courses: C&P1b, C&P1c, C&P2a and C&P3a. Research into what makes effective teachers of literacy shows that such teachers are enthusiastic about reading, can demonstrably share this enthusiasm and that they are confident in the skills required to select and analyse text. Therefore the core philosophy of the course is that students will develop the ability to reflect on themselves as readers through keeping a personal reader's log and contributing to sessions on different texts for children.
Students are also taught, at their own level, how to analyse text at text in order to increase their confidence in this area of knowledge and understanding.
Additionally, the course gives students the opportunity to consider certain key debates within the field of children's literature such as: Instruction or Delight, Fantasy or Realism, Popular or Prestigious, the Conception of Childhood, the Conception of the Child Reader, and the development of Socially Committed Children's Fiction.
The course looks for links and themes through the developing history and traditions of children's fiction. It considers whether children's literature can be defined as having rules or conventions which make it different from adult literature. It considers what it is that makes a 'classic' text and the place of children's literature in the global market place.
In terms of pedagogy the course investigates motivating and guiding children into becoming life long readers; designing teaching materials that support children in their literary exploration of text; gender differences and preferences in relation to reading and the links between reading and writing.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | Qualifications required for the B.Ed. (Hons.) Primary and normally completion of years 1 and 2 of an undergraduate programme |
| Additional Costs | Small selection of children's books. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Qualifications required for the B.Ed. (Hons.) Primary and normally completion of years 1 and 2 of an undergraduate programme |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of history, tradition, ideology and literary theory in relation to children¿s fiction.
- demonstrate an ability to apply a range of critical, interpretative and evaluative approaches to fictional texts and use skills in textual analysis.
- demonstrate pedagogical content knowledge in teaching and learning related to children¿s fiction
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Reading List
1 Maybin. J and Watson, NJ (2009)
Children's Literature: Approaches and Territories, Open University
2 Montgomery, H and Watson, N.J. (2009) Children's Literature: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Palgrave MacMillan, in association with The Open University
3 Nodelman, P. & Reimer, M. (2003) The Pleasures of Children's Literature (3rd ed) Allyn &Bacon, Boston
4 Hunt, P. (1994) An Introduction to Children's Literature Oxford University Press, Oxford
5 Bearne, E. & Watson, V. (2000) Where Texts and Children Meet, Routledge, London
6 Gaiman. Neil (2002) Coraline, Bloomsbury, London.
7 A Children's Novel that has won a prize since 2010
8 'Children's Literature: A Very Short Introduction.'
9 Ness, Patrick (2011) A Monster Calls
All students to read the following in preparation for the start of the course:
'Treasure Island,' 'Little Women,' 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.'
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1 knowledge and understanding
3 generic cognitive skills (e.g. evaluation, critical analysis);
4 communication, numeracy and IT skills; and
5 autonomy, accountability and working with others. |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Nine workshops of 3 hours with tutor input plus 1 session of 3 hours independent study on, 'The Fairytale Challenge.' |
| Keywords | children's fiction fiction in the primary School |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Peter Tarrant
Tel: (0131 6)51 6143
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Victoria Lindström
Tel: (0131 6)51 6012
Email: |
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