The Importance of English Literature in Schools

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English Literature is a popular yet important subject taught in schools in the UK. As part of a school’s requirement to teach English, Language and Literature subjects are usually separated to give your child the best chance at developing their skills within both fields. 

Literature focuses more on the study of stories, novels and other forms of writing, whereas Language particularly focuses on the way English has developed and how it has changed over the course of history.

To understand the importance of English Literature, we share this advice from this sixth form in Leicestershire.

It improves a child’s reading ability

The biggest benefit you will see is giving your child the opportunities to read more and allowing them to explore a range of different reading material. Literature heavily focuses on a child’s confidence in picking up different genres and writing styles – from short stories to graphic novels. It’s a great opportunity for your child to explore the range of material out there, while also giving your child the chance to develop their reading abilities.

Helps your child get to grips with their writing skills

Of course what comes with the benefit of reading also comes the added advantage of a child improving their writing. When a child is invested in English Literature, exploring the many different ways to write and appreciate novels, they’re also learning about grammar, new vocabulary and sentence structure. Children will often be asked to write their own essays or short stories for homework or for a group project, which is why Literature is a great way to test your child’s writing capabilities.

Helps your children learn to analyse

A lot of Literature lessons involve a child breaking down a story and its themes. Authors aim to keep things to certain themes and there are reasons behind different colourings and settings to allow readers to assess the mood. Children will often be asked in class why a certain room in a story has been painted a specific colour for instance. These help a child learn to associate different colours and settings as key choices, and learn to analyse situations in a better way.

Improves a child’s creativity

Writing is a very creative art form that a child will learn to appreciate. In reading lots of stories and getting to grips with literature, your child has the opportunity to develop their own stories and thoughts. Fictional stories tend to push the boundaries a lot for readers, which is why it’s a great subject for children to develop their creative skills in.