LSC 300 L
Literature for Children
Department of Library Science and Instructional Technology
Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven CT

CONTENTS:
Infants
Toddlers
Preschoolers
Five and Six Year Olds
Seven and Eight Year Olds
Nine and Ten Year Olds
Eleven and Twelve Year Olds
What is reading?
Tips for reading to children
Kids & Reading Home

Seven and Eight Year Olds

Seven year olds

• Develop budding friendships
• Seek acceptance by other children their age
• Show increasing independence from home and family
• Strike out on their own as readers
• Take pride in showing off their reading skill
• Understand more complex stories than they can read
• See the world as good/bad; fair/not fair
• Believe in magic
• Accept fairytale "eye for an eye" morality and cruel justice

Eight year olds

• Reach peak of interest in fairytales
• Begin interest in stories of real life
• Show beginning interest in sports
• Choose to read independently
• Like poetry/verse and chapter books
• Like riddles, jokes, off-the-wall humor
• Want to choose their own books
• Think picture books are babyish