What happened to the classics? you may ask. Don't you believe in reading great literature to children?Nothing happened to the classics-but something happened to children: their imaginations went to sleep in front of the television set twenty-five years ago. Reading a classic to a child whose imagination is in a state of retarded development will not foster a love of literature in that child.
In "The Read-Aloud Handbook," Jim Trelease addresses a concern regarding the appreciation of classic literature among children. He suggests that while the classics still exist, the issue lies with the children themselves; their imaginations have stagnated due to excessive television exposure over the past twenty-five years. This decline in imaginative engagement hampers their ability to connect with literature meaningfully.
Treasle emphasizes that merely reading classic books to children is not enough to inspire a love for literature. If a child's imaginative faculties are underdeveloped, fostering an appreciation for these literary works becomes challenging. Instead, nurturing children's imaginative skills is crucial to rekindling their interest in reading great literature.