Why is Literature Important to Developing Critical Thinkers?

[ad_1]

Literature in the Classroom

In today’s fact-obsessed culture, why is literature important and why do teachers put such an emphasis

on this subject? Why bother having kids read stories, spend their time with books about things and

events that aren’t even real? Why not just teach them what they need to know and send them on their

way?

Of course, to most educators these questions seem ludicrous. Of course literature is important—why

would it have such a central place in the curriculum if it wasn’t? But you may not realize in just how

many ways literature really does contribute to a child’s education. Because education is and should be

about more than passing on dry information; it’s also about fostering critical thinking skills and an

understanding of the world around us.

Cultural Value

Stories have been of central importance to the human race ever since it began, as far as we can tell.

Cultures are built on stories—histories, myths and legends, fables, religions, and so on. If students are to

understand and participate in the culture to which they belong, they must first learn about the stories

that culture has been built around. And while books aren’t the only kinds of stories out there, they are