Story as world making

Short, Kathy G. (2012). Story as world making. Language Arts, 90(1), 9-17.


As a literacy educator, I often find myself making the case for using good children’s and young adult literature as a vehicle for helping learners make connections in various content areas across the curriculum. “You don’t need to rely on textbooks, “I often say. “These days, there is great children’s and young adult literature available, and you can begin to discover the possibilities easily by simply doing a Google search. You can cover all the standards you need to, and in a meaningful way, by using fiction and nonfiction trade books.” I still believe that, and I’ll continue to preach that little sermon, but Kathy Short’s essay made me think about something. Could it be that in my zeal to promote authentic text use in classrooms, I’ve forgotten that sometimes stories and good literature can be good to use in and of themselves, and not just as a vehicle to make content instruction more motivating and meaningful?

Short reminded me here of the importance of stories in the human experience. As she writes here, “stories make us human” (p. 10). We need them to think and make sense of our experiences. They’re vital to the processes of knowing, meaning-making, and interacting with others. Our shared stories are what define societies, cultures, and any group we identify ourselves with. The stories that come to us from groups different from the ones we are members of help us connect with the people who tell them. These are the texts that have power in our lives and in the world. So why do we feel we need to justify using stories with children and young adults in our classrooms?

Of course, as with any power, these powerful texts can be used in harmful ways. Short points out that “multicultural” and “global” literature can be used to further entrench cultural stereotypes when there is too much emphasis on differences (“exotic” though they may be), or conversely, and just as insidiously, connections and similarities can be overstressed to the point that cultural differences and cultural identities are no longer valued, and the old “melting pot” notion where all cultural boundaries are blurred in the interests of “harmony” is seen as a laudable goal. I still hear some of the preservice teachers in my classes talking about that popular 1970’s notion, which made an increasingly diverse U.S. culture seem less threatening for some people, but I try to gently help them put those comfortable but potentially devaluing ideas aside. No, we are not all alike, but that’s good. We need to celebrate both the things we share and the things that make us unique. Good stories, used well, can help with that, even if I can’t name a Common Core State Standard that they address.

Short provided me with some additional resources to ponder. Her quick review of Louise Rosenblatt’s theoretical work was a good refresher for me, and a reminder about how important it is for readers to actual get “into” a text and live inside it. That kind of engagement is what makes stories, and all kinds of texts, so powerful in our lives. Short also provides references to two interesting web sites: 1) Worlds of Words (wowlit.org) and the U.S. section of the International Board of Books for Young People (www.usbby.org). These sites are great resources for anyone who wants to explore further the power of stories.