An Approach to Literature for Children: Report of a Seminar Considering the Teaching of Literature in the Elementary Schools.

Studying the structural nature of a literary work was considered by a Harvard Graduate School of Education seminar as a rational, nonsubjective basis for a literature curriculum in the elementary grades. Russian formalist criticism was used as a basic approach to the study of literature, and Vladimir Propp's approach to the folktale was used as an analogy for a structural approach. The appropriateness of such an approach was examined in an experiment with approximately 25 fifth-grade students. Results of the study seemed favorable; although, a complete curriculum could not be worked out due to the 1-semester time limitation. Lesson plans and children's reactions to instruction are presented in appendixes. References are included. (RT)