For the past 30 years researchers have
been interested in children's responses to the books they read. Typically this
interest is characterised by questions about what happens in the minds of young
readers: How do they respond to fiction, poetry and more recently the visual
images in picture books? Response is a general term that is used to describe a
range of processes. For instance, responses to texts may be personal in that
the individual derives pleasure and develops new understandings from the
experiences. On the other hand a literary response emphasises literary
qualities and critical appreciation. Within the school context literature might
also be included to serve a curricular function - as a springboard to learning
about a subject such as history (Protherough, 1983). Student teachers need to
examine what is meant by the term and consider effective ways of developing and
refining children's responses to the texts they read. This section looks at the
elements of response and suggests ways of guiding student teachers towards
intervening in pupils' reading in thoughtful and imaginative ways.
