Eccentric Propositions: Essays on Literature and the Curriculum

Originally published in 1984. This book charts important changes brought about by teachers in the way literature is read and written about in schools. Rooted in experiences of inner-city schools, it is extremely practical and especially valuable for the multi-ethnic classroom. The writers, all of whom are experienced teachers of English, believe, however, that all schools need to respond to the cultural, racial and linguistic diversity of British society, whether their own populations are homogeneous or mixed. By concentrating on real classrooms, real lessons and real children, the book shows how particular ideas can be put into practice. It approaches theories of reading and of literature through specific examples of lively and successful practice and argues the ease for the centrality of literature and literacy to the curriculum. The book includes lists of resources: books to read with children and books for teachers to read for themselves to deepen their understanding of the ideas and their confidence in adapting them for their own classrooms. Throughout the book continuities are emphasized: between life and literature, between reading and writing, and between learning to read, becoming better at it, and studying literature.