Children’s Literature and Its Relevance for Character Formation and Developments

Abstract

The prominence of literature to children and their being is colossal. Literature, to some, is a path to knowledge; to others, a means of empowerment. Despite its roles, it is disheartening that little or no attention is paid to the content of children’s literature. How relevant are these texts to the children? How far are they dated? Does it empower or inform them? The questions above provided the impetus for this study. This study explores children’s literature and its implication for character formation and development. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Through a simple and random sampling, forty-three pupils and 20 principals were selected in Ondo, Ondo state, Nigeria. The instrument for the study was: The Children’s Literature Questionnaire (CLQ). Three research questions were raised, and a null hypothesis was tested. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that literary texts recommended for pupils were few [`x=2.02]; head teachers chose literary texts that appealed to them [`x=3.4]; recommended literary texts did not project the struggle of the readers [`x=1.9]. The study indicated significant differences in the head teachers’ responses based on selected texts. The study recommended that keen attention should be paid to children’s literature. Literary texts for children should be censored before filling them on shelves.