Studies in Children’s Literature

Upon completion of any first-year English literature course, the successful student should be able to

1. read receptively and reflectively, with sensitivity to the subtleties of language;
2. recognize and understand literary devices;
3. practice writing as a process involving pre-writing, drafting, revising and editing;
4. write an essay of literary analysis that develops an interpretive thesis supported by appropriate and correctly cited evidence; and
5. give and receive constructive criticism on written work.

Upon completion of English 1112, the successful student should also be able to

1. read with an awareness of the intended child audience;
2. understand key issues in children’s literature, such as didacticism and social attitudes towards children and childhood, as reflected in literary texts; and,
3. where appropriate, identify typical features of literary genres and modes, such as realism and fantasy, and discuss their effect on plot, character and theme.