HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF CHILDREN’S LITERATURE

(GROUP 1: CLASSICAL TO MEDIEVAL PERIOD)

The historical background of children's literature was the main focus of

the Group 1 reporters. The presenters discussed three periods in total, from
the Classical period until the Medieval period. In the Classical period, this is
when Aesop's Fables were introduced to the world of literature. They come
from the Latin word "fabula," which means "story," written by a former Greek
slave. The characters presented in fables are usually animals that portray
human characteristics and situations, known as "animism." Some of its
examples are stories like "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Ant and the
Grasshopper," which were really popular among children or even adults
before, up until nowadays. The second period is the Anglo-Saxon period.
Similar to the classical period, this particular period also introduced another
form of literature, and that is the epic. During this period, it was discussed that
monks and other learned men wrote "lesson books" for children, led by
Aldhem, the abbot of Malmesbury and bishop of Sherborne. He was
considered the first man to write lesson books designed for teaching during
this period. Since this is the time that Epic was introduced, the longest old
English and Germanic epic of all time, "Beowulf," came to life. And then the
Medieval period. Different books, particularly those about morals and
manners like The Boke of Curtayse by William Caxtons, began to appear in
England. Other books, such as ABC Books, Hornbooks, and Chapbooks, also
appeared during this period for teaching and religious purposes, including
Christian principles and the Lord's Prayer used by children. Literature during
these periods evolved around developing children's love for reading and
appreciation of the literature being introduced.

These three periods really had me thinking about how long and old
literature really is. I cannot imagine how these forms of literature were passed
down through so many generations for me to still be able to read and know
them personally. Among the three periods, the Classical period really piqued
my interest. I was intrigued to know more about what happened during this
period. As a fan and a reader of fables, I'm curious what Aesop did before,
aside from storytelling, for him to be credited with thousands of fables this
time. From the information given by the reporters, I think these certain periods
played an important role in introducing what literature is to children and to the
world. They really did their part in building a strong foundation for literature for
it to still be recognized and used by modern people like me. While listening
and gaining information from the presentation, I felt so thankful to those
people behind the existence of literature. I want to extend my gratitude and
appreciation to these respective literates for introducing and creating the said
masterpieces that enabled me to read and build my own sense of love for
reading from when I was a kid up until my adulthood. The knowledge imparted
to me during the presentation was like a refresher to get back to my old days
and remember my happy childhood. Such information made me realize not to
think of literature as something to take advantage of just because it is usually
taught in schools; it serves as an eye-opener for me to understand and
appreciate the literature better and not to consider it as a piece of information
that just needed to be read and not learned and remembered.

If there’s really one thing that I can conclude, it is that the three periods
being discussed had a significant impact on how children now and then
perceived literature. This knowledge from the past influenced children’s level
of understanding and development, especially since the literature being
introduced was typically passed and shared with them orally by their elders.
The different characteristics displayed by the children in different periods
served as evidence that such literature can really influence how they think and
their attitude towards literature. The Classical, Anglo-Saxon, and Medieval
periods provided a strong historical background about how literature started
and how it developed over time.
 PURITAN AND DIDACTIC PERIOD
(GROUP 2)

The Puritan period in children's literature was marked by persecution of

English Protestants who rejected Catholicism and sought to follow God and
the Bible. This period's literature aimed to instill fear of God and religious
practices in children, which they did not enjoy. Puritan literature has unique
characteristics, such as using a first-person point of view, a simple writing
style, religious themes, and biblical allusions.Children during this time did not
enjoy reading religious literature, so they read books that personally
interested them, such as Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Puritans
discouraged the concept of Fairytales, Folktales, and Legends, believing they
were fictional and against the Bible's writings. However, with the rise of the
Enlightenment and Romantic movement, fairy tales and Folktales and
Legends gained popularity, with works like Cinderella, Snow White, Little Red
Riding Hood, and Medusa catching the interest of children. Children’s
literature from Puritan period achieved significant changes during the John
Newberry Era, the English publisher and was called as the “ Father of
Children’s Literature”. Newberry was the first person to create books
specifically for children with a purpose of entertainment and educational
materials designed for children’s level of reading and interests. He made
children change their attitude towards literature that results in growing their
love for reading. The group also tackled the Didactic (Instructive) period in
which this period focuses on books for teaching moral and political teachings
that alignes with the religious belief while still entertaining the listeners or
readers. Jean Jacques Rousseau, a french philosopher , develop this
philosophy to teach children in their education started in 17th century up until
the present time. Genres like drama, fiction and non-fiction was used in
practice teaching in this philosophy.

The knowledge I gained during the presentation from these periods

made me see how literature from the classical period developed and changed
in these periods, from being merely shared through oral means to having
certain printed copies. I just felt kind of puzzled about why Puritans
discouraged literature like fairytales when it was obvious that children loved
reading them and chose to make them read religious instruction when they
knew that children did not enjoy reading them. Why did they choose to focus
on instilling fear for God in children instead of just letting them read
entertaining literature while also giving them some religious instruction, if that
was really their goal? The information was kind of lacking, but I think children
in the Puritan period lost their sense of love for reading literature. That is why
the John Newberry era came to the timeline to bring back the love that they
once had for literature, which was successfully made by him. He made
children change their views, saying that literature was never boring but fun to
read. The purpose of Puritans and Newberry in the context of children’s
literature was both covered when the Didactic period came, teaching of
literature during this period both focused on instilling moral lessons in political
and religious matters while also making sure that readers were still
entertained by having them.

The two periods and eras presented may differ in their goals and
purposes in teaching literature, but these different purposes of them made
children realize that literature is not always what they think it is; literature has
different writing styles and genres; it is not always solely for entertainment but
also for good conduct, religious matters, and any target goals of the writers. It
also gives children in this periodthe opportunity to choose what they want to
read—those readings that give them happiness and knowledge, those
literatures that they find themselves engaged in, and those literatures that
bring them joy and develop their sense of love for reading.
 READER RESPONSE THEORY TO HERO WORSHIP PHENOMENON
(GROUP 3)

The group presented five topics in their presentation, including the

following: reader response theory, postcolonial theory, Krashen’s
comprehensible input and affective filter theory, and the hero worship
phenomenon. In reader response theory, it talks about the role of the reader
in constructing meaning and reacting to the textual information he or she is
reading. The postcolonial theory is a critical observation on how literature from
former or current colonized countries was influenced by their colonizer; this
includes the culture adopted by the colonized people from their colonizer.
Krashen’s Comprehensible Input deals with the importance of giving input that
is slightly above the current level of understanding to children in order for
them to understand the language better and to acquire it more quickly and
effectively. Krashen’s theory of the affective filter focuses on the role played
by the “affective variables” in facilitating the acquisition of the second
language. Motivation, self-confidence, anxiety, and personal traits are the
variables presented in this theory that determine whether to ‘close’ or ‘open’
the learners language acquisition. If the filter is ‘high’, the chance of acquiring
the language is low, but if the filter is 'low' then the chance of acquiring the
language is high. And the Hero Worship Phenomenon, coined by the Scottish
man Thomas Carlyle, this theory talks about how ordinary people have this
high regard and view for the ‘great figure’ or ‘heroes’ who embody the talent,
courage, intelligence, and other qualities that they wish to have in themselves
that inspire them to strive to achieve the same achievements as what they
admire and look up to.

The transition from the periods to the theories of children’s literature

actually made me confused about their connection. I was second-guessing if
this is still a continuation of the periods, but it is already another lesson that
makes sense about the transition. In reading the theories presented by the
third group, it was kind of easy for me to understand the four theories, aside
from the Hero Worship Phenomenon, since I am already familiar with those
because we already discussed them in other courses related to this one. The
Hero Worship Phenomenon, which I am personally not familiar with, provides
me with new information that I enjoy learning, making it easier for me to
connect it to other theories. Generally, these theories about children’s
literature addressed the possible reasons for the behavior or attitudes of
children towards literature. These theories presented different characteristics
explaining how children's responses would be affected by the inputs and
emotions being presented to them, how other cultures influenced the literature
of a certain country, and how their personal beliefs could affect their overall
view of literature.

The theories presented may be old in years, but they still make a
significant contribution to how we perceive literature now and then. Schools in
the present time introducing these theories is evidence that it really made the
concept of literature easier for us to understand, as well as our behavior and
attitude towards literature. It gives us a detailed explanation of why we are
acting like this or like that, or even gives answers to our questions in response
to literature.
 ELEMENTS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT’S LITERATURE
(GROUP 4- VERBAL ELEMENTS)

Verbal elements contain literary elements like the writer's purpose, plot,
characters, setting, themes, and style that help enhance the flow of a specific
literary piece, making it understandable and more engaging to the readers.
The writer’s purpose depends on the intention of writing; it can be to amuse
the reader, persuade, inform, or serve other purposes that the author has in
mind. The plot, as one of the verbal elements, refers to the sequence or
series of events in the story. It usually follows elements of the plot, from
exposition to the resolution of the story, so the readers would be able to follow
what is happening in the story. Characters can be a person, animal, or any
creature that plays the action and moves the plot. Setting is the time or place
in which the story takes its place; it provides the backdrop of the story and
helps in creating the mood. Themes are the central idea or hidden message
of the story that the readers usually do not realize while reading the entire
story or book. Then the style is the author’s way of expressing the idea of the
story; it includes the author’s choice of words, sentence structure, figurative
language, and images that work together to establish the meaning of the text.
Verbal elements, as elements of children's and adolescents’s literature, are
the main backbone of the majority of literary pieces. These are the primary
and most important things to consider in writing stories and other forms of
literature, as these are the things that mainly provide the readers with relevant
information on what to expect in a story.

Based on its name,'Verbal Elements’, I thought it focuses more on

communication and other oral means that have a clear connection to the
word'verbal’, so I was confused about what the other elements like
themes','setting'’, and'style’ have to do with'verbal’ elements when there’s no
verbal means happening in these elements based on their characteristics.
Just like in the "setting," how come it is under verbal elements when its
purpose is to introduce the time and place where the story occurred?. In
‘themes’ it is the main idea or the concept of the story, so where could I find
the connection of it to “verbal”? The same goes with "style,”, which refers to
how the author uses different approaches to convey the meaning of the text.
So where is the verbal there?. I can only see the connection of verbal
elements to the “characters” since in the story, there are some dialogues
presented for the characters to say for the plot to move, but other than the
“characters,” I struggled to see the connection of the other elements. On the
positive side, I understand the individual concepts and characteristics of each
element, their purpose in literature, and what role they played in literary
pieces. I am even surprised to know new things I never heard nor read before.
Just like in characters, I only know the protagonist, antagonist, and side
characters in these elements, so introducing the types of characters like
‘round characters’, ‘flat characters’, ‘dynamic, ‘and 'static’, although
understandable to some extent, was somehow new to my vocabulary.

Understanding the concept of verbal elements in children's and

adolescents’s literature gives the readers a view of the importance of these
elements and what role they played just for a'story’ to stand alone. I may
personally struggle to see the connection of all the elements to'verbal’
elements, but it won’t change the fact that I can still understand them all
individually as well as their individual contribution to the world of literature.
 ELEMENTS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENT’S LITERATURE
(GROUP 5- VISUAL ELEMENTS)
Visual elements have something to do with the illustrations (if any)
included in a story as well as with enhancing the imagination of the readers
when reading a textual literary piece. Lines are used to create an illusion of
movement that draws the readers into the story. Color gives the illustration in
the story a life to make it appear more realistic to readers, or if not in
illustration, color is used to communicate the emotion and mood to the reader.
Shapes are another way to empathize with the mood of a picture and the
story; different shapes represent different connotations based on their
complexity, suppleness, and size. Texture is used to sense how pictures in
the story feel in real life.The group also discussed the different types of style,
which include realism, the realistic representation of art in lifelike detail.
Cartoon art, or the use of exaggerated caricatures, emphasizes an emotion or
movement. Expressionism, which focuses more on inner feelings, and other
types of styles like impressionism, surrealism, folk art, and illustration were
also given a detailed explanation in the presentation. In short, visual elements
are more focused on the visuals or images that a reader can imagine( if not
illustrated in the book) while reading a story, which likely increases the
engagement and understanding of the readers with the plot of the story.

The information given about this topic is really informative and clear. I
easily understand the individual characteristics of each element and the
connection of it to visual elements. I did not had a hard time in understanding
the elements presented as by their names alone is already understandable.
Visual elements’ contribution to the overall appearance of a story is something
that I personally really thankful of, as someone who understand things better if
there are some visuals involved and presented, these elements are my top
favorite among the other elements. It develops my imagination and critical
thinking more to the point that reading a story feels like travelling to the other
side of the world and an escape from reality. These elements helps the reader
to fully understand the plot of the story more better, imagine things beyond
reality, and engaged themselves in the story without feeling a dull moments in
every word they read in a story or any literary piece.
 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
 History provides background to how literature started and developed over
time.
 Fables was well known during Classical period
 Epic started during Anglo-Saxon period
 Moral books developed during Medieval period
 Puritan period discouraged fairytales and other fictional forms of literature;
they follow God and the Bible
 Childrens did not enjoy the religious instructions established by the
Puritans
 John Newberry , the " Father of Children's Literature" created books for
children with dual purpose; entertainment and education.
 Didactic Period collaborated the purpose of Puritans and Newberry in
teaching literature developed by Jean Jacques Rousseau
 Reader response theory suggests that readers bring their own
experiences, beliefs, and emotions to the reading process influencing their
understanding of the text
 Post Colonial theory critically observes how literature from former or
current colonized countries was influenced by their colonizers.
 Krashen's comprehensible input theory stresses the importance of
providing input that is slightly above a learner's current level of
understanding to facilitate language acquisition.
 The Affective filter theory focuses on the role of affective variables like
motivation, anxiety, and self confidence in language acquisition.
 Coined by Thomas Carlyle, the Hero Worship Phenomenon discusses
how ordinary people admire and strive to emulate "great figures" or
heroes.
 Lines, colors, shapes, and textures are used in visual elements to create
movement, convey emotions, and set the mood of the story.
 Visual elements help readers better understand the plot, imagine beyond
reality, and engage with the story, making the reading experience more
immersive and enjoyable.
 Verbal elements in children's and adolescents' literature include the
writer's purpose, plot, characters, setting, themes, and style.