Embarking on the Literature Across the Curriculum course has been an eye-opening journey, reshaping my understanding of literature beyond its traditional confines. Through my study, literature has emerged as powerful, multidisciplinary tool that has the potential to make a profound impact on young readers.

An aspect that resonated deeply with me was the value of literature in cultivating a love for reading and its profound impact on students’ holistic development. Recognising reading for pleasure as a cornerstone for academic success (Whitten, 2016), the course underscored how reading fiction serves as a gateway to understanding the world (Freire, 1983; Winch et al., 2014). Being able to immerse oneself in other worlds, embarking on regular, consistent reading for pleasure to develop your “reading muscle”, and finding relatable characters and stories that you can reflect on have been areas that I have always identified with. Happily, I came across a forum post that thoroughly expressed my sentiments and built upon them in a creative and convincing way.

Working through the modules I was particularly drawn to the aspect of social awareness, emphasising literature’s ability to provide vicarious experiences, fostering empathy, understanding, and presenting diverse viewpoints and cultural experiences. This seemed to resonate with my fellow students, who also identified such benefits, succinctly stating that reading for pleasure “provides students with a sense of self, a sense of their world and an understanding of ‘other worlds.” This insight became the driving force behind both assessment tasks that I submitted during the course as I endeavoured to show how literature can be used in the curriculum to examine social justice issues and address cross-curriculum priority areas, such as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.

Being introduced to the concept of literary learning, coming to understand what it is and how it can be utilised in an educational setting across all subject areas was a significant part of my learning in this course. Whilst I continue to advocate for reading for pleasure in my professional day-to-day life, I now feel equipped to explain how versatile literature can be for all to support specific curriculum outcomes. I now see literature as a vibrant tool for cross-disciplinary engagement and critical thinking and I am grateful for how the Literature Across the Curriculum course has expanded my perspective in this regard.

Additionally, practical insights into reader response theory that boosts critical reading skills (Kaskamanidis, 2002) were another invaluable aspect of the course. Exploring diverse literature response strategies such as literature circles (Brownlie & Schnellert, 2019), has proven to be immensely insightful and added to the wealth of knowledge that I can draw upon to make lessons more enriching and aligned with educational goals.

In the future, my teaching philosophy is poised to integrate literature as a dynamic force across all subjects. Whether examining historical events through novels or exploring scientific concepts through narrative storytelling, literature will be a catalyst for fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of diverse perspectives.

 

References

Brownlie, F., & Schnellert, L. (2019). Grand conversations, thoughtful responses: A unique approach to literature circles. Portage & Main Press.

 

Freire, P. (1983). The importance of the act of reading. Journal of Education, 165(1), 5-11.

 

Kaskamanidis, Z. (2022, August 2). Reader-response: Boosting students’ critical reading skills. Teacher. https://www.teachermagazine.com/au_en/articles/reader-response-boosting-students-critical-reading-skills

 

Whitten, C., Labby, S., & Sullivan, S. (2016). The impact of pleasure reading on academic success. The Journal of Multidisciplinary Graduate Research, 2, 48-64. https://www.shsu.edu/academics/education/journal-of-multidisciplinary-graduate-research/documents/2016/WhittenJournalFinal.pdf

 

Winch, G., Ross Johnston, R., March, P.,  Ljungdahl, L., & Holliday, M. (Eds.). (2014). Literacy: Reading, writing and children’s literature. (5th ed., p. 537.). Oxford University Press.