Child Literature and Pedagogy of reading (2007/2008)

Learning outcomes

The course, through an interdisciplinary approach, promots the knowledge of contemporary italian ed international children’s literature and the reflection about problems and educational perspectives about literacy and pleasure to read fiction texts.

The course take two modules:
a) Children and young Literature: the uniqueness of Children’s Literature; the origins and the developments of children’s literature (18th- 19th); the different aspects of contemporary italian and international children’s literature (writers, illustrators, genres; themes, characters, style); the voices of the most important italian writers; the criteria for evaluation the fiction books for children and young readers; the picture book: definition, typology, themes, relationship between words and images; the difference between didactic and creative text; pedagogical and aesthetical approaches to children’s literature.

b) Reading and education: the problems about literacy in the contemporary multimedial society; the factors limiting reading habit; a new kind of reader; children and youngs as critic-reflexive readers; children needs and intrinsic motivation to read; the pleasure of reading (types an levels); reading aloud: a way for reading promotion; the difference between “reading education” and “reading promotion”.

Texts for exam:
1) S. Blezza Picherle, Libri, bambini, ragazzi. Incontri tra educazione e letteratura, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2005 (just chapters I, II, III, V, VI, IX)
2) S. Blezza Picherle (a cura di), Raccontare ancora. La scrittura e l’editoria per ragazzi, Vita e Pensiero, Milano 2007.
3) W. Grandi, Infanzia e mondi fantastici, Bononia University Press, Bologna 2007 (just chapers I, III, VI).
4) S. Blezza Picherle, Diventare lettori oggi. Problemi e prospettive, Libreria Editrice Universitaria, Verona 2007.
5) A paper about a children’s book (you can see the list in the web notice board). More information during the course.

The exam consists of two-hours’ written text based on argumentative and reflexive open-questions.