31st October 2014 13:00
By Blue Tutors
A children’s author has recently spoken out about the problems of requiring school children to analyse the text of books, arguing that taking apart stories in this way risks damaging their love of learning. Frank Cottrell Boyce has said that asking children to read a story and then immediately pick out words and phrases which have certain effects pollutes the reading experience for them. In essence, they are being asked to read analytically instead of for enjoyment. Students who go on to study literature at university know the importance of being able to analyse a text, and draw conclusions about the use of literary devices. But did they get to the point of studying literature at university because they grew up having to analyse books from a young age, or in spite of that fact? This is a question which tutors working with younger students should consider.
How can we teach students literature in a way which will enable them to perform well, but not ruin their love of literature in the process? Firstly, as tutors we do not have to tick all the same boxes as school teachers. Yes, we should be mindful of assessment objectives, but we do not have to cover every analytical point at the expense of our students’ enjoyment of literature. Boyce highlights incidences in primary schools where teachers have asked students to listen to a story and to identify what techniques the author uses to build a good story. It’s almost guaranteed that it won’t feel like such a good story after all by the end. Added to that, it’s a well observed phenomenon that many authors whose work is on the national curriculum have questioned the schools’ interpretation of their work, pointing out that the readers’ interpretations are what count.
So what approach can we use to ensure that students do not hate us and the books we’re teaching by the end of our sessions? I think the most important thing we can do is to let the students tell us what they think is interesting or important about the text, rather than telling them what to look for. If we immediately focus on an author’s vocabulary, syntax or structure, without asking how our students would approach it, we risk narrowing their approach to the book in question. Rather than asking how the vocabulary affects the reader, why not ask what they thought of the book, how it made them feel, and why that is? From there we can encourage students to think about how these effects were achieved, without telling them what to think. Whatever approach we choose to take, we must ensure that our students leave our lessons with a greater appreciation for literature.