The course aims to provide knowledge of the theoretical and methodological foundations of children's literature and the pedagogy of reading.

In particular, this course will provide knowledge and understanding of the following topics:

- psycho-pedagogical approaches to children's literature

- international surveys on assessment of reading skills

- the process of literacy development and relevant factors influencing reading comprehension and learning

- literacy education, including emotional, behavioural, cognitive and social aspects

- study and analysis of selected genres of children's literature

- pedagogical reinterpretation of some classics of children's literature (Italian and international)

- analysis of the impact of some children's authors known for promoting reading for pleasure.

The course aims to help the student become aware of the importance of educating children to read, and the pleasure of reading, through a coherent and reasonable choice of texts appropriate to various ages and the different tastes of young audiences.

Course description:

The course explores the educational value of reading for early childhood and adolescence, providing an overview of genres and publishing for children and teenagers. It introduces the theoretical and methodological foundations of reading pedagogy. Throughout the course, the evolution of children’s literature in its historical development will be analyzed, exploring its main features and trends from its inception to the present day, considering new multimodal and digital forms. Additionally, the course will offer appropriate tools to assess the reader's developmental path and promote book culture with new technologies, aiming to enhance the skills and abilities of young readers. The circular relationship between reading and writing, the use of metacognitive strategies for reading comprehension, and the criteria for evaluating children's books in terms of content, language, graphics, and iconographic features will also be examined. Finally, the course will present a list of literary works for children, mainly novels and illustrated books, to read, analyze, and evaluate.

Course topics:

Introduction to children's literature

• Nature, definition, and scope.
• Historical development.

Children's literature in literacy education

• Literacy education in early childhood.
• Literacy education in primary school.
• International frameworks for reading skills.

Children’s literature genres

• Introduction to literary genres.
• Exploration of main genres: fairy tales, fables, fantasy, and others.

Historical overview of children's literary works

• Evolution from the late 1800s to today.
• Historical context and key figures.
• Exploration of fairy tales, novels, and illustrated books.

Children's literature, culture, and media

• Cartoons and their interaction with children's literature.
• Evolution of digital books and apps for children.
• Analysis of classic and contemporary works.
• Presentation and discussion of readings selected by students.

None

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will have acquired:

-basic knowledge related to the relevant current epistemological framework of children's literature, with particular regard to its articulation in different narrative genres, and to the pedagogical and educational aspects of reading and writing;

Applying knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course the student will have shown

-mastery in the application of a functional methodology in teaching reading-writing techniques;

-understanding of the main critical trends in children's literature 

-knowledge of the pedagogy of children's literature providing a general orientation on fundamental aspects of education

Develop an appropriate degree of autonomy of judgement

At the end of the course, the student should demonstrate an ability to:

-know about topics and problems related to the educational teaching of children's literature in schools;

-critically evaluate the adequacy of educational approaches concerning the transmission of contents related to the discipline;

-identify the most suitable educational methods for creating specific learning environments;

-encourage reading for pleasure to foster emotional growth as a more effective approach to literature and narrative in general 

Communication skills;

At the end of the course, the student should have acquired:

-the ability to clearly express the course content and explaining its meaning and intention;

-the ability to communicate through the use of specific disciplinary language with teachers and school staff;

-the ability to express arguments on topics characteristic of the discipline.

Learning ability

At the end of the course the student will have the ability to use knowledge and concepts to enable reasoning based on the content of the discipline.

Students will be able to:

-use knowledge and concepts for curricular design activities;

-identify design methodologies appropriate to the context;

-simulate the design of a segment of curriculum;

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

During the course, students will have access to formative assessment tests to help them evaluate their level of preparation. These tests are designed for self-assessment and will be available on the Moodle platform at blended.uniurb.it.

Teaching

Lectures and group work. Lessons will include discussions and insights on a selected collection of novels and illustrated books. Additionally, students will be given the opportunity to actively participate in group projects, promoting collaborative learning experiences.

Innovative teaching methods

Some topics of the course will be addressed using the practice of “debate” and the “flipped classroom”.

Attendance

Non-mandatory attendance

Course books

Reference texts:

Mascia, T. (2020). I percorsi del lettore. Teoria e buone pratiche per la formazione. Avellino: Edizioni Sinestesie. Sections to consult: Chapter 1 (sections 1.1 and 1.9), Chapter 2, and Chapter 3. Available at: https://www.edizionisinestesie.it/libri/i-percorsi-del-lettore-teoria-e-buone-pratiche-per-la-formazione

Nobile, A. (2015). Letteratura giovanile. Brescia: Ed. La Scuola. 

Mascia, T. (editor) (2023). Letteratura per l'infanzia, Cultura e Media. Digital Miscellaneous Collection. Note: The collection will be available on the Moodle platform from the beginning of the course.

One novel and two picture books to be selected from a bibliography of children's works and read for content analysis and discussion. Note: the bibliography of novels and picture books to choose from will be available and shared with students on Blended Moodle.

Assessment

Learning objectives and expected student learning outcomes are assessed through a written exam containing open questions designed to assess students' knowledge and skills.

Answers to the questions will be evaluated 0–5 marks  for each of the following criteria:

- level of knowledge demonstrated; 
- efficiency, coherence, relevance of the answers in relation to the course program; 
-appropriate use of the disciplinary language used.

The final evaluation is expressed  in thirtieths

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Students who do not attend the course are required to gather information on the topics discussed during lectures and to study the recommended textbooks. Students will be able to access and consult the teaching material uploaded on Moodle and, after consulting the lecturer, also participate in working groups developed during the course.

Attendance

Non-mandatory attendance

Course books

Reference texts:

Mascia, T. (2020). I percorsi del lettore. Teoria e buone pratiche per la formazione. Avellino: Edizioni Sinestesie. Sections to consult: Chapter 1 (sections 1.1 and 1.9), Chapter 2, and Chapter 3. Available at: https://www.edizionisinestesie.it/libri/i-percorsi-del-lettore-teoria-e-buone-pratiche-per-la-formazione

Nobile, A. (2015). Letteratura giovanile. Brescia: Ed. La Scuola. 

Mascia, T. (editor) (2023). Letteratura per l'infanzia, Cultura e Media. Digital Miscellaneous Collection. Note: The collection will be available on the Moodle platform from the beginning of the course.

One novel and two picture books to be selected from a bibliography of children's works and read for content analysis and discussion. Note: the bibliography of novels and picture books to choose from will be available and shared with students on Blended Moodle.

Assessment

Learning objectives and expected student learning outcomes are assessed through a written exam containing open questions designed to assess students' knowledge and skills.

Answers to the questions will be evaluated 0–5 marks  for each of the following criteria:

- level of knowledge demonstrated; 
- efficiency, coherence, relevance of the answers in relation to the course program; 
-appropriate use of the disciplinary language used.

The final evaluation is expressed  in thirtieths

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.