5 Tips for Successfully Introducing your Children to Classic Literature

Feb 01, 2023

Today, let’s talk about how to introduce kids to the classics

Many of us, me included, remember reading classic works as a student and finding them boring or overwhelming. But there are many great reasons to read the classics to your kids like we discussed last week including teaching kids to grapple with complex emotions & teaching history.

Classic stories represent the best of our past. Think of the content being generated today. Only a few of these stories, movies, and ideas will be remembered 100 or even 1,000 years from now. The classics represent the best of past ideas. They speak to us of our humanity. They say something universal that remains true even after a century or millennia. Sometimes, these stories are echoed again and again in modern literature. Sometimes to understand where you are, you must know where you have been.

Still, not all children will like the classics right away so….

Here are 5 steps for starting the classics with your kids

1. Start with the story without the fancy language

Most classic literature uses a large vocabulary or unusual word framing for young, modern ears. However, the story can be told more simply. For example, "The Ugly Duckling" was originally written by Hans Christen Anderson and is quite exquisite but the story itself is simple. Find a simple version and read it.

2. Find Illustrated versions

An alternative to the above is to find the original story language accompanied by strong illustrations. Then, if children don't fully understand the language, they can use the pictures to fill in the gaps. There are a surprising number of great versions of this. For example, there is a children's coloring book of "Beowulf".

3. Introduce short classic stories

Once children are comfortable with the language, introduce them to the great conversation. Many classic authors have short stories examples include Beatrix Potter, Kipling, Andersen. You can read these yourself but often finding a great audio version can really make a story come alive for children.

4. Ensure they understand the story

It's a great idea to stop and ask questions to make sure children understand the story. Questions at younger ages should be remember/understand level. Example: What did Billy ask Sarah? How was Robert feeling? As children get older you can move into more application questions. Example: Why do you think Jane would do that?

5. Discuss what filled your soul with joy

After the story, ask children what they liked or did not like. This will also help you pick future stories for them. As they get older ask questions like "what do you think the story is trying to tell us". Build up to asking "what do you think they author is trying to tell us" so children get a sense that writing isn't just about telling a good story but often about teaching us something.