*This is a collaborative post
Every school will have lessons on English Literature - a key subject in all students’ learning. It helps children learn about the world on a broader scale, come to terms with difficult subject matter and also help to develop their writing and reading skills. Here are some key reasons why English Literature is so important in schools.
Helps children learn to analyse content
Taking apart content and knowing how to decipher what’s happening is a good part of your child’s growth into reading and writing. Literature has a big emphasis on taking apart pieces of text and understanding what’s happening within the content. Comprehension skills like these are perfect for the exam room environment, where many subjects ask students to analyse a scenario from the text or of moments in history.
Helps your child find a love for reading
Literature is mainly about the importance of different topics and iconic moments from all manner of fiction. The world’s most popular books have been analysed continuously thanks to the progression of English Literature as a studying subject.
Students have the opportunity to read through a number of famous works, get to have an open discussion about the book with their peers in the classroom and understand its context better. It’s also a great time to help your child find other genres of books they might be interested in.
Develops your child’s grammar
Good grammar and sentence writing skills don’t come overnight. It’s continued practice through years of development and English lessons. Taking on an abundance of reading material helps with their problem solving skills, and learns to identify where grammar errors are in their own writing. A lot of English writing development can be taught just through the words of another writer, which helps immensely with a child’s literacy development.
Breaks down complex themes
When it comes to teaching a child about the more complex themes and issues happening across the world, Literature can help. The older your child gets the more issues and problems they will come across in everyday media. This Sixth Form in West Midlands for example teaches their students with more complex prose as they get to A Level age, to prepare them for what could come up in future exams or in real life. Examples of complex themes include cultural or racial divides, relationships, gender and sexuality.
