Reading in the life of primary school children aged 9–11

Abstract

A large number of changes in the reading of children and adolescents impedes the passing on of literary culture from generation to generation, which makes the topic of family reading increasingly important. Today, the reading experience of a child and his future largely depend on reading in the family and the activity of parents who are the main mentors and the first teachers introducing children to reading.

The article discusses the practice of family reading. The tradition of family reading dates back to the 18th century—it is also the same time when the first specialized children’s literature appeared. The structure of family reading includes the reading of both poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, the exchange of opinions about what has been read, and the formation and transmission of literary tradition and family (home) library.

Quite common are families where serious attention is paid to the reading process: parents show interest in reading, reading practices are instilled from early childhood, new books are regularly bought, and what is read becomes the subject of discussion with children. In such families, children read a lot and know where to find information about books. However, there are also families where adults are not interested in reading and do not pass on the literary tradition to their children. In such families, children are more likely to surf the internet, do not visit libraries and do not like to read.

A drawing technique and a survey of younger schoolchildren from Moscow and Krasnodar were used to study the opinions of children. The relevance of this article is primarily due to the fact that it shows a direct opinion of children on how they imagine the reading process. With the help of drawings, children were able to express their feelings and position regarding the research question posed.