Children's Literature and Learning

Literary study should encourage both children’s pleasure and skill in reading. In this engaging book, Barbara Lehman shows how to create meaningful, intellectually stimulating programs of literary study that are developmentally appropriate for students’ needs, interests, and experiences (ages 5-12). Drawing on her extensive scholarship in the fields of children’s literature and literacy instruction, she offers practical ideas for creating programs that accomplish curricular goals in literary ways. Featuring a usable overview of important literary theories as well as many practical teaching ideas, this book will help classroom teachers become more knowledgeable and self-assured about creating their own literature programs for children.

Book Features:

• A theoretically based model for creating developmentally appropriate literary study programs in elementary schools.
• Methods for teaching across the curriculum, including how to set up a classroom for literary learning.
• References with annotations of more than 130 children’s books.

Barbara A. Lehman is Professor of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University.

“Barbara Lehman knows good literature for students and she knows how to teach teachers to bring it alive.”
—Bernice E. Cullinan, Professor Emeritus, New York University

“Provides a vision for teaching literature and literacy as one, reconciling aesthetic and didactic approaches. Even better, it offers the beginnings of a road map for those who want to pursue all the richness of reading for their students.”
—From the Foreword by Janet Hickman, Ohio State University

“Clearly written and accessible…Lehman's framework for literary study reflects a strong theoretical base, and provides flexibility to teachers in adapting it to their specific needs. The book includes many examples, a helpful glossary, and annotations of children's books.”
—Evelyn B. Freeman, Dean and Director, Ohio State University at Mansfield