After completing units on cataloguing and inquiry learning, I was so excited to finally dive into literature. At the onset of this course, I characterized reading as dual purpose. I determined that reading developed functional literacy and was also an engaging form of recreational enjoyment (Bertalli, 2023, November 19). Over the course, however, I became aware that this representation was overly simplistic and did not encompass the full potential of reading.
From an early age, I understood that fiction allowed a reader to experience the world in new ways, due to my own firsthand experiences (Bertalli, 2023, February 26). As a child, I lived in housing commission. The fortnightly visits from the mobile public library van gave me access to books that were an escape, an adventure, and an education of the possibilities outside of my own world. At age 10, I would wake early to walk to the community centre carpark, on my own, and excitedly greet the librarian to exchange my pile of novels. Sometimes, I would lie and tell the librarian that my chosen selection of hardcover books was for my parents, so that I wasn’t redirected to the children’s section for borrowing! However, it wasn’t until my learning within this subject that I truly began to articulate the power of literature and the lasting effects this may have on our students and their sense of identity and place in this world (Johnston, 2017).
Johnston (2010) describes literacy as a chameleon (p. 25). Literacy looks different across and within various contexts and disciplines, something I have previously acknowledged in my blog (Bertalli, 2023, March 22). However, it is the study of quality literature that feeds into all inter-discipline and trans-discipline conceptions of literacy (Johnston, 2010). Through the critical exploration of characters, settings and plot in fiction, and the ways that various concepts may resonate with a reader beyond the reading of the text, literary learning is key in developing multiliteracy- the ability to interpret and create meaning across various modes and contexts. (Anstey & Bull, 2006; Johnston, 2010). A strong foundation of quality literature prepares students for lifelong critical and creative thinking.
Literature also teaches a reader to apply imagination and intelligence to unfamiliar situations and assists them to develop ethical understanding and social/ emotional capabilities (Johansson, 2013; Lyngfelt, Sporre, Lifmark, Lilja, Osbeck, & Franck, 2023; Litner, 2006). This is something I highly value in my personal teaching pedagogy (Bertalli, 2023, May 20). Johnston (2017) articulates this well, saying that ‘…deep literacy…affects how we see the world and deal with others… affects our thinking…encourages respectful attitudes and behaviours… connects and ethically considers options… recognises [and] negotiates differences…’ (p.65). As a teacher librarian I have both the privilege and responsibility to support my students to gain these attributes through literary learning. ‘ETL402: Literature Across the Curriculum’ has allowed me to fully appreciate the power of purposeful literature selection, when teaching curriculum content. It is an awareness that I will carry with me as I collaboratively plan with teacher colleagues in 2024 and beyond.
References:
Anstey, M., & Bull, G. (2006). Teaching and learning multiliteracies: Changing times, changing literacies. International Reading Association.
Johansson, V. (2013). “I am scared too”: Children’s Literature for an Ethics beyond Moral Concepts. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 47(4), 80–109. https://doi.org/10.5406/jaesteduc.47.4.0080
Johnston, R. R (2010). ImagiNations and deep literacy; Ideas, dreams and visions for Australian futures. University of Technology, Sydney. https://www.uts.edu.au/sites/default/files/accy-imaginations.pdf
Johnston, R. R. (2017). Australian Literature for Young People. Oxford University Press.
Lintner, T. (2006). Hurricanes and Tsunamis: Teaching about Natural Disasters and Civic Responsibility in Elementary Classrooms. Social Studies, 97(3), 101–104. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.3200/TSSS.97.3.101-104.
Lyngfelt, A., Sporre, K., Lifmark, D., Lilja, A., Osbeck, C., & Franck, O. (2023). Bridging “as is” and “as if” by reading fiction in ethics education. Cambridge Journal of Education, 53(1), 63–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2022.2075323