Among some of the first why questions young children ask, inevitably they will want to know what lies beyond the safe skies they see everyday. Their curiosity is piqued by the sight of millions of stars above them at night. Many of these questions are easily answered, but if we're honest, not all their questions will be so quickly satisfied by us. It's a good time to visit the library and introduce them to the many non-fiction books on the subject. Tremendous efforts have gone into recent space research and our children benefit. Try the many excellent books showing photos and information the Hubble telescope produced over its long journey. There are also many books covering topics such as planets, gravity, the solar system and space exploration.
The imagination is a wonderful place and so it fiction based on what if? What if there is life on other planets? What if we can travel into space the same way we travel to another country? What if going into space changed us into something else? Many authors play with these ideas and produce mind expanding fiction children can't help having their attentions snatched away with. Children with an interest in science usually find these types of tales most appealing. The far out concepts tackled with fiction help them to question and probe into the possibilities and inability of mankind. This is not only healthy, but will inspire them to come up with solutions themselves. Further reading will help them discover if their own ideas hold up to the facts. Books with space themes fuel imaginations.
Although these books are often loosely termed science fiction children are ready to read such books earlier than we might think. By their very nature some books blur the lines of genre and even fantasy stories often fit into this theme. Time travel is seen as a scientific problem to solve, but for now is still pure fantasy. Kids not so mad keen on the idea of space may prefer the softer approach with time travel stories. Though appearing more ordinary, time travel themes will take young readers into new worlds of the future and sometimes the past. The fantastic worlds featuring in fantasy tales can often reveal more about our own worlds than we realize. Allowing children to read fantasy and science fiction will help them question why we believe the things we believe. Rather than losing them into make believe, these stories can ground them into the present by their stark contrast to daily life.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Heather Goldsmith's Children's Reading topic, please visit the Discussions page.