A thematic approach to the teaching of literature in the junior high school

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to propose a thematic organization of teaching literature to students in the junior high school. It is suggested that because of the nature of the 12-15 year old student, who is encountering literature for the first time as an academic subject, the thematic approach best utilizes his natural curiosity and encourages the enjoyment of literature for its own sake. -- The nature and function of literature as it relates to the young reader is explored, and a definition of literature as an imaginative experience is suggested. An exposure of this type to the world of literature would enable the junior high school student to relate to the selections in a manner that is more motivational than are other traditional arrangements. -- The traditional methods of teaching literature are compared to the thematic arrangement, and a means of implementing the thematic model is suggested. The development of a particular theme is also offered as a sample of how the thematic arrangement could be utilized within the classroom.