I used to think that childhood is merely a stage in one’s life when a person is innocent and vulnerable and that childhood stops once he becomes aware of the real world around him. Now as an adult, I realized that childhood is not bound by age or physical features. I used to say, “Nung bata pa ako…” as if I have outgrown my kiddo self and is fully convinced that I am an adult, thus I should act like one. The truth is, I am in my heart still a child as all of us are, atleast a part of ourselves. Embracing this very truth not only helped me accept my weaknesses but also allowed me to understand children by looking through my own lens as a child.
I used to think that children’s literature comprises of stories which only tell of experiences children are very fond of. Having collected storybooks through the years and even used them in my reading classes, I saw how children’s literature can also provide a way for children to learn about some issues they don’t hear much about. I have realized that children’s books can be a good platform to teach kids the realities of life and how they can deal with it. For instance, Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree made me ponder and appreciate the person whom I consider ‘my tree’ and how his ‘giving’ shaped how I see him and respond to him. How much more wonderful it would be for students if they get to understand themselves better with stories like these?
I have realized that children’s books can be a good platform to teach kids the realities of life and how they can deal with it.
However, I wonder if children’s literature can also assist children with special needs in coping up with different situations. As I have been teaching CSN for the past years, I have learned that while they may be ‘special’, they also experience the same things regular children are experiencing. Some of them also face bullies everyday, wonder who and where their respective fathers are and wish they have this or that. So I plan to try to use children’s books to help them understand their feelings and learn that they can do something about it. I also wonder whether children’s literature will continue to thrive when media also offers shows that children enjoy watching but do not necessarily offer lessons they can draw relevance from.
Nevertheless, I feel hopeful that children of our current generation will grow up to be good and noble citizens. With love for literature, their passion to change the world comes in. I feel thankful for the lives of the authors and illustrators of hundreds of children’s literature who have chosen to invest their time, talents and treasures on things that should matter most in our hearts. I am grateful most especially to those authors who have gone out of their comforts to write about what children of today are most afraid and ashamed discussing about. Because of their boldness and creativity, we can help our children develop the character to overcome even the hardest of the obstacles in life.
Nevertheless, I feel hopeful that children of our current generation will grow up to be good and noble citizens. With love for literature, their passion to change the world comes in.
By Teacher Jenny Ipapo-Catalon