It’s our responsibility as educators to pass on the canon of the written and oral tradition.  The classics focus on timeless themes which young children will need to be familiar with to understand their lives, the world, and their place within it. Choosing great works from classical world literature not only passes down our human tradition.

Because we read to understand, the classics provide rich themes for children to hone their ability to understand he written and spoken word.  They also are written with a rich vocabulary by which the children can contextually learn new words.  Studies show young children benefit more from authentic reading with a focus on understanding, rather than learning to decode “easy readers” contrived with words chosen to be easily sounded out.

Fill your library with classics of world literature in their original source.  Read to your children so as to pass down a proud written tradition.  Above all, delight in sharing with the children favorite books from your own childhood.

What classics do you read to your children?  What books do you remember fondly from your own childhood?  Leave a comment.