Children’s Literature for Early Childhood: Genres, Storytelling & Activities
Children’s Literature: Functions and Genres
Children’s literature includes all productions and activities that use words for artistic and creative purposes, with the child as the audience. The first contact with literature happens through experiences offered by adults, such as lullabies, songs, and first stories, fostering memory, vocabulary, diction, body expression, creativity, communication, and emotional development. Its main genres are narrative (story and novel), poetry, which provides rhythm and musicality, and theater, which combines language, body, and artistic expression, making it very attractive for children. Access should be playful, with an appropriate environment and selected resources that generate fun and enjoyment.
First Contact and Early Experiences
The first contact with literature occurs through experiences that adults offer, such as lullabies, songs, and initial stories. These early interactions favor memory, vocabulary, diction, body expression, creativity, communication, and emotional development. The approach should be loving, consistent, and adapted to each child’s needs and contexts.
The Story (Tale): Types and Age Adaptation
The story (tale) is an oral or written literary creation of variable length that relates real or imaginary events with artistic intention and aims to entertain and teach. Stories are classified as popular, orally transmitted with unknown authors, and literary, created by known authors and usually written in a single version. According to Ana Pelegrín, popular stories can be rhymed or formulaic for ages 2–5, animal stories for ages 3–7, marvelous or fairy tales for 5–7, and customs stories also for 5–7. Selecting stories should consider the child’s age, psycho-evolutionary development, and interests, adapting complexity, characters, and illustrations: the youngest need simple stories with sensory resources; children 3–6 enjoy humanized protagonists and simple structures; from 6 years old, fantasy, diverse characters, and more complex plots can be introduced.
Age Adaptation
- 0–3: Simple stories with images and sensory materials.
- 3–6: Humanized protagonists, social values, simple structure, and illustrations.
- 6+: More complex plots, fantasy, and diverse characters.
Traditional and Current Stories
There are clear differences between traditional and current stories. Traditional stories have popular origins, are orally transmitted, often repetitive, moralistic, and timeless, with typified characters and scenes from other eras with fantastic elements. Current stories are created for children by known authors, transmitted in writing or audiovisual format, realistic and close to the child’s experience, with simple structure, no repetition, open endings, and concrete non-moral objectives, focused on the present.
Reading Versus Narrating
Similarly, a story can be read, following the text and illustrations, creating an intimate and affectionate atmosphere, or narrated, allowing greater spontaneity, freedom of gestures and movements, and use of multiple expressive resources.
Oral Storytelling, Activities, and Reading Corner
Oral storytelling requires selecting the story according to the group and educational objectives, adapting the text by removing secondary elements, using beginning and ending formulas, mastering the plot, maintaining a relaxed and playful atmosphere, and using voice, pauses, silence, and gestures. From stories, children develop oral, body/gestural, logical-mathematical, artistic, and rhythmic-musical expression activities. The reading corner is fundamental to introduce children to literature, foster love for reading, improve vocabulary, attention, and concentration, generate habits and rules, and promote respect for books. The educator presents stories and materials, reads and narrates stories, maintains and renews materials, encourages expression and communication, and involves families.
Practical Oral Storytelling Tips
- Select stories by age and educational objective.
- Adapt the text, eliminating secondary elements when needed.
- Use opening and closing formulas to frame the narrative.
- Master the plot and maintain a relaxed, playful atmosphere.
- Use voice modulation, well-timed pauses, silence, and gestures.
Activities and Learning Outcomes
Activities developed from stories include: oral expression, body/gestural expression, logical-mathematical tasks, artistic work, and rhythmic-musical activities. The reading corner promotes a love of reading, improved vocabulary, greater attention and concentration, the formation of habits and rules, and respect for books. The educator’s role includes presenting stories and materials, organizing the space, renewing resources, encouraging expression and communication, and involving families.
ICT and Sensory Books
ICT is used as a motivating resource, providing visual and auditory support that facilitates learning and allows creative projects in the classroom. Finally, sensory or “quiet books” are manipulative materials that stimulate the senses, attention, autonomy, and active learning, especially recommended for early childhood.
Concise English Summary
Children’s literature includes oral and written productions for artistic and creative purposes, aimed at the child. First contact: lullabies, songs, first stories. Functions: memory, vocabulary, diction, body expression, creativity, communication, emotions. Main genres: narrative (story, novel), poetry (rhythm, musicality), theater (language + body + art + rhythm). Must be playful, with proper environment and resources, giving fun and enjoyment.
Story (tale): oral or written, real or imaginary, goal: entertain and teach. Types: popular (oral, unknown author, multiple versions) and literary (known author, single version). Age adaptation: 0–3: simple, images, sensory materials; 3–6: humanized animals, social values, simple structure, illustrations; 6+: complex plots, fantasy, diverse characters.
Traditional story: oral, repetitive, moral, timeless, typified characters.
Current story: written/audiovisual, realistic, child-centered, open ending, specific non-moral goals.
Read story: follows text and illustrations, intimate atmosphere.
Narrated story: spontaneous, gestures and movements, multiple expressive resources.
Oral storytelling: choose story by age/objective, adapt vocabulary and structure, master plot, create playful atmosphere, use voice, pauses, gestures, silence.
Activities: oral expression, body/gestural, logical-mathematical, artistic, rhythmic-musical.
Reading corner: promotes love of reading, vocabulary, attention, habits, respect for books. Teacher: presents stories/materials, organizes space, renews resources, encourages expression/communication, involves families.
ICT: motivating, visual/audio support, facilitates learning and creative projects.
Sensory/quiet books: manipulative materials, stimulate senses, attention, autonomy, active learning, especially for 0–3 years.
Literatura infantil: funciones y géneros
La literatura infantil comprende todas las producciones y actividades que usan la palabra con fines artísticos y creativos y tienen al niño o la niña como receptor. El primer contacto con la literatura ocurre a través de experiencias que el adulto ofrece, como nanas, canciones y los primeros cuentos, favoreciendo la memoria, el vocabulario, la dicción, la expresión corporal, la creatividad, la comunicación y el desarrollo emocional. Sus principales géneros son la narrativa (cuento y novela), la poesía, que aporta ritmo y musicalidad, y el teatro, que combina lenguaje, expresión corporal y artística, siendo muy atractivo para la infancia. El acceso debe ser lúdico, con un ambiente adecuado y recursos seleccionados que produzcan placer y entretenimiento.
El cuento: definición y adaptación por edades
El cuento es una creación literaria oral o escrita, de extensión variable, que relata hechos reales o ficticios con intención artística, y tiene como objetivos entretener y enseñar. Los cuentos se clasifican en populares, de transmisión oral y autor desconocido, y literarios, creados por autores conocidos y normalmente escritos en una sola versión. Según Ana Pelegrín, los cuentos populares pueden ser rimados o de fórmula para 2–5 años, cuentos de animales para 3–7 años, cuentos maravillosos o de hadas para 5–7 años y cuentos de costumbres también para 5–7 años. La selección de cuentos debe considerar la edad, el desarrollo psicoevolutivo y los intereses de cada niño, adaptando la complejidad, los personajes y el uso de ilustraciones según las edades: los más pequeños necesitan historias simples con recursos sensoriales, los niños de 3–6 años disfrutan de protagonistas humanizados y estructuras básicas, y a partir de 6 años se puede introducir fantasía, personajes diversos y tramas más complejas.
Cuento tradicional y cuento actual
Existen diferencias claras entre el cuento tradicional y el cuento actual. El tradicional tiene origen popular, se transmite oralmente, suele ser repetitivo, moralizante y atemporal, con personajes tipificados y escenas de otras épocas con elementos fantásticos. En cambio, el actual está creado para los niños por autores conocidos, se transmite escrito o audiovisual, es realista y cercano a la experiencia del niño, tiene estructura simple sin repeticiones, final abierto y objetivos concretos no moralizantes, centrados en el presente.
Lectura y narración
De manera similar, un cuento puede ser leído, respetando el texto y las ilustraciones, generando un clima íntimo y afectivo, o narrado, permitiendo mayor espontaneidad, libertad de gestos y movimientos, y uso de múltiples recursos expresivos.
Narración oral y actividades derivadas
La narración oral requiere seleccionar la historia según el grupo y los objetivos educativos, adaptar el texto eliminando elementos secundarios, usar fórmulas de inicio y final, dominar la trama, mantener un ambiente relajado y lúdico, y emplear recursos de voz, pausas, silencio y gestos. A partir de los cuentos se desarrollan actividades de expresión oral, corporal y gestual, lógico-matemática, artística y rítmico-musical. El rincón de lectura es fundamental para acercar a los niños a la literatura, fomentar el gusto por la lectura, mejorar vocabulario, atención y concentración, generar hábitos y normas, y promover respeto por los libros. La educadora debe presentar cuentos y materiales, leer y narrar historias, mantener y renovar los materiales, fomentar la expresión y comunicación, e implicar a las familias.
TIC y libros sensoriales
Las TIC se usan como recurso motivador, ofreciendo soporte visual y auditivo que facilita el aprendizaje y permite desarrollar proyectos creativos en el aula. Finalmente, los libros sensoriales o “quiet books” son materiales manipulativos que estimulan los sentidos, la atención, la autonomía y el aprendizaje activo, especialmente recomendados para la primera infancia.